Wang Daxia peered through the crack in the door and confirmed they were indeed the patrolling soldiers of Fengcheng, but they were disheveled, and the stench of alcohol wafted through the door. He immediately understood what was happening.
Since opening his shop, he had spent every day sitting by the entrance observing Fengcheng while cracking melon seeds. These patrolling soldiers were like bandits, extorting protection money from shops under various pretexts—one of which was arresting Ming spies. Seeing his business thriving after opening, they had come to demand their share.
These bullies preyed on the weak but feared the strong. If he yielded once, they would return every month to cause trouble. Wang Daxia planted his hands on his hips and cursed, "Bullshit! You’re just here to take advantage because you think this lady is pretty. Get lost!"
The soldiers went berserk, kicking the door violently. "Open up! You’re harboring a Ming spy and even dare to insult us!"
The door panel splintered, sending dust and wood fragments flying as the soldiers barged in. They saw the flirtatious shopkeeper fleeing toward the inner room.
"After her! Don’t let her escape!"
But the shopkeeper merely opened the inner door and stood still. A man emerged from the room.
The soldiers surrounded him. "So there really is a man hiding in here! He must be a Ming spy!"
The man produced an ivory plaque carved with a white lotus and an official rhinoceros horn pass granting access to the Khanate Court. "I am Ding Wu, Branch Leader of the White Lotus Sect and a judge in the Khanate’s Privy Council. You accuse me of being a Ming spy? Ha! Dare you confront me before Zhongjin Khatun?"
Ding Wu had pulled out all three of his trump cards.
These soldiers had only come to extort protection money and never expected the flirtatious cosmetics shopkeeper to have such powerful backing. They hastily sheathed their weapons and turned to leave. "A misunderstanding, Judge Ding. We beg your forgiveness."
"Wait!" Ding Wu pointed at the broken door, gaping like a missing tooth. "You harassed the shopkeeper in public and kicked her door down. Think you can just leave? Compensate her for the repairs immediately!"
Today, they had tried to steal a chicken only to end up losing their rice. The soldiers tossed down some coins and fled.
Wang Daxia bowed gracefully. "This humble woman thanks Judge Ding for your assistance."
Ding Wu replied, "No need for formalities between us. Hurry and find a carpenter to fix the door before stray dogs wander in."
Bystanders never tired of watching a hero save a beauty and buzzed with gossip:
"That Judge Ding is quite handsome!"
"I swear I saw him come out of the inner room."
"You’re not mistaken. The shopkeeper closed early today with a 'Inventory Taking' sign, but who knew someone was inside?"
"Alone together, a man and a woman… could it be…"
"This shopkeeper has some tricks up her sleeve—daring to run a shop alone and curse out soldiers. So she has powerful backing."
"More than just tricks—look at her chest, like two sweet melons."
"Look at those melons, so big and round. They must be sweet and fragrant to bite…"
The frontier customs were bold, unlike the restraint of Beijing, and the frank remarks spread like wildfire. Soon, rumors flew about the newly opened cosmetics shop’s female owner and Ding Wu, the White Lotus Branch Leader and Privy Council Judge!
Even the courtesans from the brothel at the street corner came to ask Wang Daxia for advice: "Sister Ximen, how did you manage to snag Judge Ding? We’ve tried for years, and he never even glanced our way."
As for being embroiled in rumors with his brother-in-law, Wang Daxia had grown numb to it—after all, his wife Wei Caiwei didn’t mind and even smiled at him about it!Wang Daxia pointed to the cosmetics in the counter, "Women dress up for those who appreciate them. Men all enjoy seeing beautiful appearances. You should make yourself look lovely every day—who knows when your dream lover might just walk through your door? Always stay beautiful, anytime, anywhere. I've just received some new stock—would you like to take a look?"
A young woman picked up a tin-cased lip rouge, "Yes! I want this exact shade you're wearing, madam. It really makes the skin look fair."
"What kind of eyesight is that?" Wang Daxia snatched the lip rouge back and pulled out another similar shade from the counter, "This is the one."
Another girl took a liking to the almond-scented face powder, "I want this one. It makes the skin look fair, smooth, and gives a shimmering glow."
Wang Daxia said, "This contains mica flakes. Your pores are too large—applying this will make them look bigger than needle eyes, absolutely frightening. This one without mica is more suitable for you..."
Wang Daxia's obsession with cosmetics unexpectedly became an advantage. Self-taught and coupled with rumors of an affair with the long-single Ding Yuanpan, almost overnight, the beauty-conscious women of Fengcheng came to know of the "Rouge & Glamour" cosmetics shop.
Of course, the straightforward name "Rouge & Glamour" was chosen by Wang Daxia himself. As if by accident, the shop quickly gained popularity in Fengcheng.
Seizing the opportunity, Wang Daxia acquired several storefronts in Fengcheng and opened branches, with two located directly opposite the White Lotus Sect and the Khanate Court for convenient surveillance and intelligence gathering.
As the shops expanded, the "Locust Elimination Operation" commenced. By day, Wang Daxia was the enchanting and flirtatious shop owner; by night, a cold-blooded, ruthless assassin.
One by one, the White Lotus Sect collaborators on the death list were eliminated, marked with red checkmarks like names struck off the ledger of life and death by the underworld guards.
Autumn in Fengcheng was already bitterly cold.
Some were found "drunk" on street corners, frozen to death in a drunken stupor.
Others walking night paths would see a woman beckoning from a dark alley, "Come play, just a tael of silver, and I'm yours." The next day, they'd be discovered stabbed over a dozen times, lying in a pool of blood, their money pouches gone—robbed and murdered.
Some stayed holed up at home, shutting their doors early and curling up with warming stoves, only to perish in bedroom fires that broke out in the middle of the night.
At the White Lotus Sect headquarters, snow fell early in autumn. Sect Leader Zhao Quan received yet another report of a follower's death—this time, the man was thrown from his horse when it suddenly spooked and bolted. His leg got caught in the stirrup, and he was dragged half a mile along the ground, leaving a trail of flesh and severed limbs.
Zhao Quan sighed, hands behind his back, "This autumn feels cursed. Seventeen followers have died already."
Li Zixin, the second-in-command and deputy leader, replied, "This year's drought has caused poor harvests in Bansheng Land. Even with seed grain saved, the remainder is barely enough for winter. The pastures are barren too—to prevent mass livestock starvation, herders slaughtered many animals early to salt and air-dry them, keeping only a few cattle and sheep. In such lean years, robbery and violence naturally increase. When the world is unstable, people die. Don't overthink it, Leader. If food runs short, we raid the Ming. If our numbers dwindle, we seize Ming women to distribute among our men for breeding. The White Lotus Sect will endure and multiply."Li Zixin was a native of Datong, Shanxi, who harbored the deepest hatred for the Ming dynasty within the White Lotus Sect. To curry favor with the Khanate Court, he even adopted a Mongolian name for himself—Khan Bi Xie Qi (meaning "petty scribe" in Mongolian). Not only did he guide the Mongol-Tatar armies in pillaging and slaughtering across regions, but he also returned to his hometown in Datong and deceived over three hundred fellow villagers into collectively migrating to the Bansheng Land.
Both Zhao Quan and Li Zixin were utterly cold-hearted and selfish individuals. When the sect's population and grain reserves dwindled, their only solution was to plunder. Zhao Quan thought to himself, "Since we're going to rob anyway, we might as well aim for a big haul."
The weather turned cold—it was time to harvest heads in the Ming territories.
Thus, Zhao Quan went to the Khanate Court and proposed to Anda Khan a plan to venture to the capital for another round of lucrative plunder.
It was a year of famine. The livestock tributes from various tribes to the Khanate Court were far fewer than in previous years, and everyone faced the challenge of surviving the winter. Just as Anda Khan was about to demand grain from Zhao Quan, the latter "walked right into the trap."
Anda Khan declared, "This year, most of our livestock have died, and there isn't enough meat to eat. Your Bansheng Land has a grain reserve of fifty thousand dan. Hand it over for emergency relief."
Zhao Quan hurriedly replied, "The Bansheng Land has always been Your Majesty's territory, and the grain belongs to You. This humble servant merely safeguards it on Your Majesty's behalf. However, there are fifty thousand followers in Bansheng to feed. If we distribute all fifty thousand dan of grain among the tribes, and they starve to death, who will till the land and produce grain for Your Majesty next spring? Those herders only know how to tend livestock; they cannot farm."
Anda Khan asked, "How much grain can you spare?"
"At most, ten thousand dan," Zhao Quan humbly extended one finger. "Fifty thousand followers must survive the winter and the lean spring months. The remaining forty thousand dan of stored grain must be reserved for seeding next spring. They can only eat half-full meals at best—just enough to avoid starvation. Your Majesty, the White Lotus Sect has truly done its utmost. We beg for Your Majesty's mercy."
Anda Khan expressed dissatisfaction, "Only ten thousand dan? Distributed among the tribes, it wouldn't even be enough to fill the gaps between their teeth."
Zhao Quan suggested, "Rather than tightening our belts, why not seek new sources, Your Majesty? This winter, whether herders or farmers, everyone will have to endure hunger. Since we're all going hungry, why not..."
Zhao Quan pointed to Beijing on the map, "This humble servant is willing to lead Your Majesty's army on another expedition south for hunting. The White Lotus Sect is willing to serve as guides, offering our loyal service like dogs and horses. We ask for only ten percent of the spoils from the hunt."
Anda Khan had not expected Zhao Quan to harbor such grand "ambitions." "Hunt in the capital?"
Zhao Quan kowtowed and said, "Exactly, Your Majesty. The fervent warriors under Your command would rather risk a southern hunt than cower in their tents and starve. Though our White Lotus Sect is not skilled in warfare, we are familiar with the local terrain. During the Gengxu year, our collaboration with Your Majesty yielded a great harvest that sustained us for over a decade. Now, those reserves are depleted. A single drought has left us starving. It is time to venture forth once more."
Anda Khan, hearing this, grew eager. Initially, he had only planned to launch a few minor raids along the border, seizing enough supplies to get through the winter. But Zhao Quan's words made sense: small-scale raids were meaningless—they would only provide one meal with no guarantee of the next. The capital was a land of milk and honey; one successful plunder there could sustain them for more than a decade.Seeing an opportunity, Zhao Quan continued to fan the flames, "The current Ming emperor is only thirty years old, having just ascended the throne with an unstable footing. This is the perfect time for us to directly attack the capital. If we miss this chance, who knows when the next one will come."
During the southern campaign against the Ming dynasty in the Gengxu year, they had nearly captured the capital. Though Anda Khan spent a month plundering the outskirts of the city with some regrets, he eventually returned fully loaded, becoming the most powerful Khan of the Mongols.
Staring at the map of Beijing, Anda Khan suddenly felt the fervor of his youth rekindled, stirring his fighting spirit and passion. He slapped the table and was about to summon his subordinates for discussion when a maid hurried in. "Zhongjin Khatun requests the Khan's presence."
Summoned by his beloved young wife, Anda Khan immediately abandoned Zhao Quan and went to see her.
Jin Ying, caressing her still-flat abdomen, greeted Anda Khan. "Great Khan, I am going to be a mother.Author's Note: Fengcheng's top beauty and makeup influencer Wang +7 and his rumored boyfriend, the fifth-rank Lord Ding from the Bureau of Military Affairs. Another strange couple is born. Thank you to the little angels who voted for me or provided nutrient solutions between 2020-10-15 03:09:09 and 2020-10-15 19:52:07~
Special thanks to the little angel who threw a hand grenade: Nine Ridge Fir 1;
Thanks to the little angels who threw landmines: Mist, Sonia220 1 each;
Gratitude to the nutrient solution providers: 吉祥天 40 bottles; Nine Ridge Fir, Bubbles 20 bottles each; Name Waste s, Mist, Ji Nian 10 bottles each; When Will We Return West 5 bottles; Little Leaf 2 bottles; Hua Shao, Water Cup Bottle 1 bottle each;
Thank you all very much for your support. I will continue to work hard!
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