Why did Wei Caiwei "go back on her word" and "walk right into the trap"?
Let us rewind time by half an hour, when Wei Caiwei slipped Wang Daxia's letter through the door seam of Miss Yingying's residence.
After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the door opened. Surprisingly, it was Miss Yingying herself who answered. "Are you the female physician renting Wang Daxia's house?"
Three days had passed, yet Miss Yingying remained dressed in plain blue garments and a black Fujian headscarf, her face cleansed of cosmetics, without even earrings.
Wei Caiwei nodded. "Miss Yingying, may I come in?"
"Please." Yingying opened half the door to allow Wei Caiwei to lead her horse into the courtyard. "My surname is Jin, given name Ying. You may call me Miss Jin, Doctor Wei."
Yingying was her professional name from her Red Sleeve Brothel days. Now that Jin Ying had bought her freedom, both her attire and address had changed.
The only constant was her beauty—so striking that Wei Caiwei felt no envy, only admiration.
"Thank you, Miss Jin." Wei Caiwei led her horse inside.
Jin Ying observed Wei Caiwei's green top, red skirt, and large peony gauze flower headpiece, chuckling lightly. "Wang Daxia picked these, didn't he? If he were reborn a woman, he'd probably drape himself in gold and silver, terrified of going unnoticed."
Indeed, her late husband had always had such taste—ostentatious, flamboyant, and unbearably garish.
Wei Caiwei replied, "Exactly. I need your help changing into plainer clothes. I'm still in mourning and shouldn't be dressed so elaborately."
Jin Ying said, "We're about the same size. If you don't mind, Doctor Wei, you can wear my clothes."
Wei Caiwei thanked her, went inside to shed the vibrant outfit, and changed into blue cloth garments, tying her mourning bun with white silk.
From behind the screen, Jin Ying said, "I've read the letter. Wang Daxia says you're in serious trouble and need to alter your appearance to escape the capital with a new household certificate. I have connections, but it will take time. Please stay here for three days. Once the certificate is ready, I'll help you leave the city."
Now restored to her widow's attire, Wei Caiwei emerged from behind the screen and asked, "Why do you trust Wang Daxia so much? I'm being watched by the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Aren't you afraid of bringing trouble upon yourself by sheltering me based solely on his letter?"
This was the real reason Wei Caiwei had come to meet Jin Ying in person.
Direct by nature, she disliked guessing games and speculation—they only bred complications and wasted time. Better to meet face-to-face and speak plainly.
Jin Ying explained, "I was once the top courtesan at Red Sleeve Brothel. When I came of age, clients competed to bid for my deflowering or even buy me a golden house to hide me away. Only Wang Daxia asked if I wanted freedom..."
She smiled, her eyes sparkling like stars. "Only he understood I didn't want to belong to any man. He helped me escape that pit. The world mocks his 'rescuing fallen women' as childish folly. We are kindred spirits. Now that he needs help, I will stand by him."
So that was it!
However, the reborn Wei Caiwei didn't believe Jin Ying was the type to "die for a friend."
In her previous life, when Wang Daxia faced calamity and castrated himself, there had been no intervention from any Miss Jin Ying. Even after marrying her, Wang Daxia had never mentioned this stunning beauty.
It seemed Wang Daxia's sincere devotion had ultimately been misplaced.Wei Caiwei did not trust Jin Ying. She pretended to agree to Wang Daxia's suggestion of seeking refuge with Jin Ying merely to placate him.
Wei Caiwei said, "The Embroidered Uniform Guard has cast a dragnet. A new Household Certificate alone won't secure an escape. Wang Daxia is too young and naive—he's oversimplifying things. When I first heard the guard would use torture to extract confessions, I panicked. But now, calm again, I realize: I'm an innocent widow. Why should I spend the rest of my life as a fugitive? A clear conscience fears no accusation. I'll go to the Imperial Guard Office to clarify matters. That horse was stolen by Wang Daxia from the guard. Please, Miss Jin, hide it well—it's best to dye its coat another color to avoid discovery and implicating you."
Wei Caiwei took her leave. Jin Ying did not press her to stay. "If Wang Daxia weren't naive, how would he have helped either of us? It's his flaw, but also his virtue. He's young and reckless—it's natural he overlooks many details."
Wei Caiwei distrusted Jin Ying, just as Wang Daxia distrusted the Embroidered Uniform Guard.
In this life, Wei Caiwei took revenge into her own hands, unwilling to drag Wang Daxia into it. Within four days of her rebirth, she had eliminated three key villains—swift and clean, removing the primary offenders.
The sole reason she risked staying in the capital after her revenge was to prevent Wang Daxia from following his previous life's path of extreme self-castration.
Had she taken the new Household Certificate and fled far away, Wang Daxia would have repeated his past mistake.
She had laid so many false trails—deliberately leaving her real name and address, quarreling with the Inn manager over room fees, diligently going out daily to practice medicine—all to appear as a respectable female physician striving to make a living, earn her independence, and build a reputation in the capital.
Without witnesses or material evidence, it wouldn't be easy for the Embroidered Uniform Guard to convict her. Besides, she wasn't without connections...
Thus, Wei Caiwei "walked into the trap," feigning panic as she went to the Imperial Guard Office to seek Lu Ying's help, claiming she was being followed by suspicious men.
Wei Caiwei said, "...This humble woman dares not return home, fearing the followers might scale walls or pick locks to harm me. So I've come to seek Lord Lu's protection."
Lu Ying looked her up and down. "If you haven't been home, why aren't you carrying your Tiger Crutch and medicine bag?"
Wang Daxia: Oh no! I have those with me!
Wei Caiwei maintained her composure, covering the lie: "The Tiger Crutch has rolling beads that rattle whether it's spinning or not. The medicine bag, after years of carrying herbs, reeks of medicinal scents. After finally shaking off the followers to seek help here, I worried the noise and smell would give me away, so I tossed them—along with my hat—into the river."
Lu Ying asked, "How did you shake off the followers?"
There were four people in the room: Lu Bing seated in the center, Lu Ying below him, Wang Daxia standing behind Lu Bing as if on guard, and Wei Caiwei standing before the three.
Wang Daxia mouthed the words "women's bathhouse" and, while Lu Bing and Lu Ying couldn't see him, traced three characters on his chest.
Having been husband and wife in their past life, Wei Caiwei understood. She said, "The women's bathhouse."
Wang Daxia then mouthed and gestured the word "money," slicing a hand across his navel to divide his torso in two.
Wei Caiwei responded seamlessly, "I gave the bathhouse owner half a string of coins, begging for her help."
Wang Daxia pointed toward the room's back door.
Wei Caiwei said, "The owner let me out through the back door."This tacit understanding truly befits an old married couple who had shared a bed for thirty years in their past life.
Seamlessly coordinated, Wang Daxia breathed a sigh of relief.
To mask his nervousness, Wang Daxia chuckled and decisively tore down the pretense. "Well, this is like the dragon king’s temple being washed away by a flood—family failing to recognize family. There was no villain following you. The person you encountered was actually—"
Wang Daxia deliberately drew out his words, teasingly eyeing Lu Ying.
Feeling embarrassed, Lu Ying shot him a fierce glare.
Wang Daxia continued, "He was actually sent by Commander Lu—"
Lu Ying clenched his fists, mentally bashing Wang Daxia’s head a hundred times over!
Wang Daxia added, "—to secretly protect you, as part of the Embroidered Uniform Guard."
Huh?
Lu Ying loosened his fists but did not speak up to expose Wang Daxia’s lie.
Young and thin-skinned, Lu Ying valued his pride. Though Wang Daxia had lied, he had preserved the dignity of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.
"This—" Wei Caiwei clasped her hands at her waist, fingers twisting restlessly, "So it was my own cleverness backfiring—mistaking a protector for a villain. A false alarm after all."
"But—" Wei Caiwei looked puzzled, "Why would Commander Lu send someone to protect a common woman like me?"
This stumped Lu Ying—one lie required countless more to cover it up!
Yet Lu Ying, being straightforward by nature, was not skilled at lying.
Still, he couldn’t bear to lose face in front of a young widow, so he turned to Wang Daxia. "You explain it to Doctor Wei."
After all, spinning tales was your specialty.
This was the first time since meeting Wang Daxia that Lu Ying had ever appreciated this particular skill of his.
Author’s Note: Wang Daxia’s mouth—a devil for deception~ When husband and wife unite in purpose, their sharpness can cut through metal. Through a mix of gestures and guesses, they managed to clear this hurdle, but even more perilous challenges await them ahead.
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