Prince Yu had lost three children, none of whom died of smallpox.
Who wanted to harm the little imperial grandson?
Certainly not Li Wei, who had gifted the jade Guanyin statue. Without the little imperial grandson, Li Wei would still be a tile maker working for his livelihood.
This was an attempt to sever the roots of Prince Yu's household. The first suspect that came to Prince Yu's mind was Prince Jing.
Prince Jing had remained childless all these years. He had no son of his own, yet sought to take my son away!
Prince Yu clenched his fists, his fighting spirit ignited.
The jade Guanyin had been delivered to Prince Yu's residence through Li Wei's hands, so no one would suspect him. Moreover, smallpox was a common illness in winter and spring, not as obvious as poisoning. If the little imperial grandson had contracted smallpox and succumbed to high fever and the unbearable itching of pustules, it would have been considered an ordinary case of infant mortality, not attributed to intentional infection with smallpox matter.
Had it not been for encountering a bold and meticulous physician like Wei Caiwei, the smallpox matter might have remained hidden in the base of the jade Guanyin statue.
In his fury, Prince Yu wrote a secret memorial reporting the plot against the imperial heir and presented it to the Jiajing Emperor. He could not directly voice his suspicion of his younger brother, Prince Jing.
The secret memorial first reached Huang Jin, the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs. The Jiajing Emperor frowned at the mere mention of Prince Yu—matters concerning Prince Yu's household were taboo in the Forbidden City. Since such memorials usually contained nothing important, Huang Jin would simply order them copied and archived without presenting them to the emperor.
But today's memorial was different. It began with, "Your son writes to Your Imperial Majesty with tears of blood..."
Involving a plot against the imperial heir, Huang Jin dared not suppress it and presented it to the Jiajing Emperor.
The Jiajing Emperor disliked Prince Yu, but the grandson was his own grandson, an imperial heir. To plot against an imperial heir was tantamount to rebellion and disrespect toward the imperial family.
No matter how much the Jiajing Emperor disliked Prince Yu, he could not ignore an act of rebellion. With the New Year approaching, this incident enraged him. "Summon Zhu Xixiao," he commanded.
Zhu Xixiao, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, was handed this hot potato.
The Jiajing Emperor ordered Zhu Xixiao to investigate the case secretly. Prince Yu's household was to remain as it was, as if the plot against the imperial heir had never occurred, to avoid alerting the perpetrators.
The culprit had gone to great lengths to harm the imperial grandson in this manner, determined to conceal their actions and eliminate the imperial grandson without detection.
Now, the enemy operated in the shadows, and so would they—all concealed in darkness.
To be honest, Zhu Xixiao's first instinct also pointed to Prince Jing. But Prince Jing was far away in Anlu, Hubei, making it difficult to find direct evidence linking him to the crime.
However, it was also possible that Prince Yu was playing a "thief crying 'stop thief'" scheme, using a self-inflicted injury as a ruse. After all, the little imperial grandson had been moved to Princess Yu's care a few days before the jade Guanyin arrived, coincidentally not being with Consort Li at the time.
Moreover, the emperor was aging but had delayed appointing an heir. Prince Yu and Prince Jing were only twenty-three days apart in age. The chief grand minister, Xu Jie, openly supported Prince Yu. To maintain balance between the two imperial sons, the Jiajing Emperor had delayed taking action against the Yan family in Jiangxi. There were even rumors that the emperor intended to reappoint Yan Song!
To restrain Xu Jie and Prince Yu and prevent their influence from growing strong enough to threaten his absolute authority, the Jiajing Emperor tacitly allowed these rumors to circulate, causing many fence-sitters at court to lean toward Prince Jing.
The Jiajing Emperor's intention was clear: until he drew his last breath, he alone would be the supreme ruler of the Great Ming Empire. No one, not even his own sons, would share his power.The struggle for the throne between two imperial princes made the truth itself unimportant.
What truly mattered was whether one could extricate themselves from the investigation unscathed, without incurring the resentment of either prince.
The difficulty was immense. No matter the outcome, at least one prince would be offended—or possibly both.
What to do? The Emperor had entrusted the Embroidered Uniform Guard with conducting a covert investigation, making it impossible to refuse. The inquiry had to proceed.
Who in the Embroidered Uniform Guard was most capable of bearing such a burden?
The first person Zhu Xixiao thought of was Lu Ying. Despite being a woman, she was a hundred times more capable than her younger brother, Lu Yi. A year earlier, after Lu Yi’s mourning period had ended, he married the daughter of former Minister of Personnel Wu Peng, settled into family life, and joined the Embroidered Uniform Guard as an assistant commissioner.
Lu Yi, as the adopted heir of the Loyal Earl, had been appointed to his position by decree of the Jiajing Emperor, who explicitly instructed Zhu Xixiao to mentor him. Zhu Xixiao treated Lu Yi with such deference that he dared not assign him dangerous tasks, keeping him buried in paperwork instead.
Lu Ying, however, was different. Publicly, she was known as Lu Bing’s illegitimate child. Initially, Zhu Xixiao had reservations about her gender, believing it inconvenient for her to handle field operations, and even considered persuading her to resign, marry, and start a family.
But once he put her to work, he discovered that the "Scar-Faced Handsome Gentleman" was exceptionally effective. She neither feared the powerful nor scorned trivial tasks, and she never competed with her superiors for credit. No matter how tricky the assignment, she accepted it without hesitation and executed it flawlessly.
The Embroidered Uniform Guard had come to rely on her indispensability. Thus, even though Zhu Xixiao knew full well that her mourning period had ended—making her eligible for marriage, especially since her younger brother had already wed—he feigned ignorance and never broached the subject of her leaving the guard.
Lu Ying had secured her position through sheer competence, becoming irreplaceable within the Embroidered Uniform Guard—so much so that even her own brother could not fill her role. When it came to the siblings, Zhu Xixiao’s approach was simple: he turned to Lu Ying for critical matters and Lu Yi for routine affairs.
Who could be better suited to handle this tricky case than Lu Ying?
As soon as Zhu Xixiao returned to the Embroidered Uniform Guard headquarters, he summoned Lu Ying.
Lu Ying first went to Prince Yu’s residence, where she observed a priceless jade Guanyin statue through a window. It was far beyond what Li Wei could afford—clearly of dubious origin.
That Li Wei had relapsed into his gambling addiction was no secret—it was only concealed from Li Jiubao, who was currently pregnant.
Disguised as a gambler, Lu Ying deftly investigated several underground gambling dens, tracing Li Wei’s movements.
Among them was the Huaqing Pool bathhouse, which superficially operated as a bathhouse but secretly housed a gambling den. Lu Ying did not overlook it. Li Wei was a creature of habit, nostalgically drawn to the filthy, stinking gambling dens he frequented in his impoverished days. The familiar atmosphere invigorated him, though lately, his luck had turned—he won more often than he lost.
He never set foot in upscale gambling establishments adorned with luxurious furnishings, attended by beautiful women and wealthy patrons. Instead, he preferred mingling with fellow destitute gamblers.
When Lu Ying arrived at Huaqing Pool, it was her first visit in four years—since the investigation into the murders of Thousand Household Chen and his son. It was Wang Daxia who had led her here, where they uncovered the crucial clue by interrogating Chen’s son’s book attendant.
Wang Daxia’s "remarkable" performance had impressed her father, Lu Bing, who subsequently recruited him into the Embroidered Uniform Guard.
To reach the inner gambling den, one had to pass through the bathhouse area, filled with naked men. At the time, Wang Daxia, unaware she was a woman, had straightforwardly guided her through.
For the sake of the investigation and to maintain her cover, she steeled herself and navigated the bathhouse, treating the surrounding figures merely as breathing slabs of meat.Four years later, passing by the men's bathhouse once more, she remained even more composed and unruffled, treating the naked men around her as if they were air.
Arriving at the underground gambling den, she deftly slipped a silver ingot into the waiter's hand under the cover of her sleeve. "For you. One question: Has that Tile maker, Squire Li, been here in the past few days?"
Her technique clearly marked her as an old hand. Lu Ying no longer retained her former rigid demeanor, having picked up some of Wang Daxia's roguishness and streetwise air.
The waiter clutched the silver tightly. "He was here. First, he soaked in the baths, then gambled all night. He ordered tea several times and a plate of grilled meat. Still as stingy as ever—won so much money but didn't spare a single coin for me. I worked hard running errands to buy him that grilled meat. By rights, the change should've been my tip, but he took it all, didn't leave a single copper..."
According to the waiter's account, that night Li Wei had gambled fiercely with a merchant who spoke with a southern accent. The two faced off one-on-one, shaking dice and betting on high or low, winning and losing in turns, ending in a draw.
Gamblers only grow more frantic and furious the longer they play. Even a draw wouldn't make them stop and shake hands amicably. They started with small bets to warm up their luck, then the stakes grew larger and larger until finally, they went all-in.
That all-in round caused a sensation at the Huaqing Pool Gambling Den. All the gamblers stopped to watch this high-stakes game.
Li Wei won, sweeping away the southern merchant's entire fortune.
The merchant, unwilling to accept defeat, brought out a treasure he'd kept hidden—a jade Guanyin statue, said to be extremely efficacious, with every pregnant woman who prayed to it giving birth to a son.
The merchant pinned his hopes on the jade Guanyin for a comeback.
The waiter recounted with great animation, "...That jade Guanyin was absolutely stunning! It looked like it was coated in a layer of Buddha's light—you could tell it was worth a fortune at a glance. But Squire Li's family has produced a golden phoenix that soared to great heights. How could a mere merchant's luck surpass Squire Li's?"
"The southern merchant lost even the jade Guanyin and broke down crying on the spot. He said he'd lost all the money he'd made doing business in Beijing and had no face to return home for the New Year. He even tried to dash himself against the wall to end it all, but we stopped him—in business, bloodshed is the worst omen, especially during the New Year. It's just bad luck. The boss ordered us to drag him out of Huaqing Pool and throw him into the snow outside. Whether he froze or starved to death was no longer our concern."
Lu Ying asked, "Where did the southern merchant go afterward?"
The waiter said, "He claimed he was going back to his hometown in Guangdong for the New Year. Squire Li, that man—you say he's stingy, but not entirely. He wouldn't spare a single copper to tip me. But when he went outside and saw the southern merchant weeping in the snow, he gave him five taels of silver, saying it was travel money home. He even comforted the merchant, telling him not to lose heart, that he himself had once gambled everything away but had managed to turn things around."
"The merchant took the silver, kowtowed to Squire Li in the snow, and left. But, going by common sense, these gambling addicts never change. The merchant probably didn't go back to his hometown with that silver—he likely went to other gambling dens to try his luck. It's entirely possible he lost everything, even his pants. If you check other places, you might just find him."
Lu Ying had an artist sketch a portrait of the merchant based on the waiter's description. She first went to the Guangdong Guild, where merchants from Guangdong gathered, to inquire, but found no trace of him. After searching several underground gambling dens in a row, there was still no sign of him.Lu Ying even went to the location within the Shuntian Prefecture Yamen responsible for collecting the remains of those who froze or drank themselves to death on the streets each night, comparing each male corpse one by one, but found no match.
After ruling out all other possibilities, Lu Ying reported the investigation process and results to her superior, Zhu Xixiao. "Based on the evidence, this was a trap specifically set for Li Wei, with the target being the young imperial grandson. Sir Zhu, I request additional personnel to monitor Prince Jing and personally travel to Anlu."
In truth, this had been Lu Ying's first thought upon receiving the case. However, as an Embroidered Uniform Guard handling an imperial investigation, she had to set aside her personal stance and rely on evidence to convince others. Otherwise, even if the investigation pointed to Prince Jing, the Jiajing Emperor would not believe it.
Worse, Prince Jing might turn the tables and accuse her of sowing discord within the imperial family.
Lu Ying was straightforward but not foolish. She knew that before investigating a case, she must first protect herself.
Zhu Xixiao agreed, "...All actions must be reported to me in advance. Do not act on your own; follow my orders in everything."
Lu Ying complied. Without even celebrating the New Year, she set off for Anlu in Hubei.
Just as she began her journey, a court official submitted a memorial stating that the Emperor was unwell and suggesting that Prince Jing, who was stationed in Hubei, visit Mount Wudang to perform sacrifices on behalf of the Emperor, praying to the heavens for His Majesty's swift recovery.
Mount Wudang, located in Hubei, was a sacred site in Taoism and, of course, a holy place in the heart of the Jiajing Emperor. Believing in this, the Jiajing Emperor issued an edict ordering Prince Jing to perform the sacrifices at Mount Wudang on his behalf.
Upon hearing the news, Lu Ying changed her destination to Mount Wudang. Arriving in Linqing, she stayed at the Xie Family Tavern as she had a year before. As soon as she entered the main hall, she saw a wandering physician raising a cup to her.
Wei Caiwei had actually arrived in Linqing ahead of her!
"How did you get here?"
Wei Caiwei replied, "Judging from their use of smallpox inoculation against the young imperial grandson this time, they are desperate and will resort to ruthless methods. They will use whatever cruel means necessary. Though I am not skilled in martial arts, I am adept at identifying and neutralizing poisons. I can be of use to you."
Lu Ying took Wei Caiwei with her and braved the wind and snow to Mount Wudang.
The Central Plains were blanketed in white snow. Yet, thousands of miles away on Nan'ao Island in Guangdong, it still felt like summer.
Surrounded by water on all sides, Nan'ao Island was like a secluded paradise, far removed from the mainland.
During the Southern Song Dynasty, the imperial family had sought refuge here, establishing a small Southern Song court on the island. To this day, remnants of that small court's architecture remain.
Now, with the Japanese Pirates along the southeastern coast being ruthlessly purged by the Qi Family Army and the Yu Family Army, their numbers had dwindled, and the situation in the southeast had stabilized. The displaced pirates gradually fled to Nan'ao Island, which became a haven for them.
In a tavern, a dancer in a red veil and red dance attire performed the Sogdian Whirl Dance. She was tall and slender, with a voluptuous figure—full bust, narrow waist—and her waist swayed like a snake, her ample bosom trembling like two large coconuts.
She spun and leaped, and the delicate bells on her wrist "accidentally" flew off and hit a Japanese Pirate on the head.
The pirate, struck by the bells, picked up the bracelet of handbells and stared at the dancer's trembling bosom, his lustful eyes glazed over. "Beauty, let me kiss you, and I'll return your bracelet."
The veiled dancer stepped down from the stage and whispered in his ear, "Let's go outside. I'll show you something good."
Author's Note: They've evolved from big steamed buns to coconuts. Straight men love this—just look at the character designs of female characters in the games straight men play, each one bigger than a coconut.
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