After regaining consciousness, Lu Ying still felt physically weak. She issued orders for her subordinates to proceed as planned, splitting up to investigate guests at the Xiangsi Inn who had registered under false names and addresses, and to search for new suspects without delay.
Lu Ying had always been swift and decisive in her actions. The moment she gave the command, her subordinates "swarmed out like bees from a hive."
Only Wang Daxia, who had just joined the Embroidered Uniform Guard the day before, remained at the yamen since Lu Ying hadn't had time to assign him a task.
If it were the usual Wang Daxia, he would have been delighted: while others toiled under the scorching sun investigating cases, he could do nothing and still get paid.
But with Wei Caiwei and Lu Ying alone together, and him being sent away, Wang Daxia was deeply upset—even the prospect of idling around and earning money effortlessly couldn't lift his spirits, showing just how deeply this had wounded him!
Wang Daxia was preoccupied with worry, losing his appetite. At noon, though he normally could eat three bowls of rice, he only managed two.
Barred from entering Lu Bing's courtyard, he remained restless after the meal, circling the outer wall in hopes of finding a gap to sneak in and spy on what Wei Caiwei and Lu Ying might be doing inside the room.
But it was futile.
There were no trees around the courtyard to aid in climbing, and watchtowers stood at each of the four directions—east, south, west, and north—manned by guards in rotating shifts. Spotting Wang Daxia sneaking close to the wall, one of the guards shot a blunt-tipped arrow as a warning: "Hey! Get away!"
The arrow embedded itself in the soil beside Wang Daxia's shoe.
Wang Daxia immediately raised both hands and took three steps back from the wall. "I'm Wang Daxia. I just wanted to check if Commander Lu is feeling better after her heatstroke."
The guard replied, "Step back! You may only enter upon the commander's orders."
Wang Daxia had no choice but to retreat. After walking about ten steps, another arrow landed by his shoe. Turning back, he saw the guard in the watchtower waving him over. "Commander Lu wants you inside."
It turned out that Wei Caiwei had heard the commotion from the watchtower and worried that Wang Daxia, unfamiliar with the rules, might act recklessly and end up injured or worse.
So she informed Lu Ying, who was resting, and Lu Ying ordered the guards to let him in.
Wang Daxia entered the courtyard and headed straight for Lu Ying's room.
The escorting guard said, "Wrong way. It's over here."
To his surprise, he was led directly to Wei Caiwei's room!
In the morning, claiming she needed medical treatment, it was somewhat understandable to keep him in the room. But now it was already afternoon—why was she still in her room?
Wang Daxia's stomach churned with sourness, as if he'd downed all the sour plum soup in the mess hall. Standing at the door, he raised a fist to knock but hesitated, never bringing it down.
What if, upon opening the door, he saw the very scene he dreaded most?
Before he could knock, Wei Caiwei opened the door herself. "Come in quickly, you're letting all the cool air out."
To help Lu Ying beat the heat, two large water vats were placed in the room, piled high with ice that peaked over the edges, filling the space with a refreshing chill.
Wang Daxia slipped inside, and Wei Caiwei promptly closed the door. Lu Ying reclined on a daybed, intently studying a large map of Beijing's major neighborhoods on the wall, as if trying to memorize it.
Wei Caiwei returned to her desk, picked up a medical book titled Miscellaneous Records of a Female Physician, authored by "Tan Yunxian." A leaf served as a bookmark inside; she opened to that page and continued reading, occasionally jotting down excerpts in a small notebook.
So, the two of them were each occupied with their own tasks, with no improper behavior between them.This scene filled the uneasy Wang Daxia with remorse: I've been too filthy-minded, thinking the worst of them. Lu Ying is an old stick-in-the-mud, and Doctor Wei prefers someone as dashing, charming, and witty as me. Nothing could ever happen between those two!
At this thought, the gloom in Wang Daxia's heart instantly lifted, like clouds parting to reveal clear skies.
Both were busy and paid him no attention. Remembering he had entered under the pretext of inquiring about his superior's condition, Wang Daxia scurried to the daybed, half-knelt, and obsequiously raised both fists to massage Lu Ying's legs. "Is Commander Lu feeling better? I hope the commander, in your magnanimity, won't hold my mistakes against me?"
Wei Caiwei couldn't bear to watch such sycophantic behavior and lowered her head to continue reading her medical text.
Lu Ying naturally enjoyed Wang Daxia's leg massage. "It was never your fault—I was the one who suffered heatstroke."
Receiving this reassurance, Wang Daxia immediately clasped his hands and declared, "Commander Lu is truly generous! I shall devote myself to you unto death, sparing no effort!"
Lu Ying raised a hand. "Not for me, but for the Embroidered Uniform Guard. You draw an official salary, not from my private coffers. Also, now that you've joined the Embroidered Uniform Guard, you must refer to yourself as 'this subordinate' before superiors."
Wang Daxia responded, "This subordinate obeys!"
Lu Ying said, "Rise and speak properly. No need for the massage—you're here to serve in an official capacity, not as my servant."
Wang Daxia continued his flattery, "Commander Lu cherishes her subordinates and shows such consideration—this subordinate is deeply moved."
Lu Ying thought: If this fellow ever went astray, he'd undoubtedly become a notorious villain.
Wang Daxia glanced sidelong at Wei Caiwei. She still appeared in her widow's attire, and her focused reading posture was truly captivating...
Lu Ying said, "Alright, you've seen I'm fine. You may leave."
With Wei Caiwei here, how could Wang Daxia bear to go?
Moreover, seeing Lu Ying and Caiwei maintaining clear boundaries without a hint of ambiguity, he immediately "forgot the pain once the wound healed," casting aside all wild speculations. Like weeds bursting with vitality, he was back to his old self!
Wang Daxia hunched over, rubbing his hands. "This subordinate draws a day's pay, so I must serve the Embroidered Uniform Guard for a day. Everyone else is out investigating suspects—I feel ashamed to be idle. I'll remain by Commander Lu's side for duties. Just give the orders."
Lu Ying replied, "Actually, you only need to do one thing."
Wang Daxia leaned in. "Commander, please instruct me."
Lu Ying said, "Shut up, stay quiet, and don't disturb Doctor Wei and me."
Wang Daxia nodded repeatedly, placed his index finger to his lips in a shushing gesture, then retreated to sit on the Arhat bed beneath the window, stealing occasional glances at Wei Caiwei.
Perhaps because they were husband and wife in a past life, Wei Caiwei sensed Wang Daxia's gaze and looked up.
When their eyes met, Wang Daxia averted his instantly, like a adulterer caught in the act.
Wei Caiwei recalled how she had urgently summoned guards to forcibly "peel" Wang Daxia away that morning while treating Lu Ying's heatstroke. The stunned and disappointed look in his eyes as he was carried off now filled her with guilt.
Wanting to make amends, she set down Miscellaneous Records of a Female Physician, picked up a plate of purple jade-like grapes, and placed it on the table before Wang Daxia. "Eat these. They're tribute grapes from the south, bestowed upon Lord Lu by the Emperor."Whenever the Jiajing Emperor obtained something valuable, he would inevitably bestow a portion upon his milk brother Lu Bing. Lu Bing saved it for his beloved daughter Lu Ying, who in turn gave it to Wei Caiwei as thanks for helping keep a secret.
Wei Caiwei used this gift to honor her deceased husband, and after going through several hands, it ultimately ended up with Wang Daxia.
Grapes in the capital had not yet ripened, making these purple grapes a rare delicacy.
Wei Caiwei wanted to give a slap and then a sweet date—to comfort Wang Daxia after scolding him.
Wang Daxia ate the grapes, and the sweetness reached his heart. As the saying goes, warmth and full stomachs lead to certain thoughts, and the extinguished sparks in Wang Daxia's heart rekindled.
The room was cool and comfortable. After finishing the grapes, Wang Daxia covered his mouth and yawned several times, then unexpectedly dozed off on the Arhat bed.
Meanwhile, in the torture chamber of the Imperial prison, Zhou Xiaoqi had been brutally interrogated for a full day and night. His left eyeball had been blinded by dripping wax, and his body was covered in wounds, leaving him begging for a swift death.
The jailers, of course, would not let him die. They ordered him carried away for proper treatment and delivered a thick stack of confessions into Lu Ying's hands.
By now, Lu Ying could move about freely, though she was still somewhat weak. Being a principled person, and since Ding Wu had yet to verify Wei Caiwei's identity, Wei Caiwei remained one of the suspects. Not wanting to read the confessions in front of her, Lu Ying woke Wang Daxia and asked him to move the documents to her room.
Under severe torture, Zhou Xiaoqi had completely broken down. He confessed everything he knew, detailing how he resented Lu Ying for being favored by Lu Bing and how he had snatched the case of the deaths of Thousand Household Chen and his son. He admitted to tracking Lu Ying's investigations, learning that Wei Caiwei was the prime suspect, climbing over the wall into her home, preparing knockout drugs and torture tools, and waiting for Wei Caiwei to return...
Lu Ying read through the confessions page by page, her gaze settling on one particular line.
According to Zhou Xiaoqi's testimony, after the mysterious death of Thousand Household Chen, Yan Shifan—the only son of Grand Secretariat Chief Minister Yan Song, who was also the father-in-law of Zhou Xiaoqi's second sister and served as Vice Minister of Works—had asked Zhou Xiaoqi whether Thousand Household Chen had recently mentioned his former in-law, Lord He.
Zhou Xiaoqi, having been personally promoted by Thousand Household Chen as his most loyal subordinate and shadow, was naturally the most familiar with Chen's recent activities.
After reading this, Lu Ying circled the information with a vermilion brush.
Wang Daxia, who was standing nearby organizing the confessions, remarked, "How strange. At that time, we hadn't yet gone to Huaqing Pond to drag out the bookkeeper for interrogation, nor had we investigated Old Woman Wang at West Sanlihe or dug up the He family graves at midnight. Why did Vice Minister Yan seem to foresee it all and ask Zhou Xiaoqi about the He family?"
Wang Daxia lowered his voice, "Could it be that Vice Minister Yan knew about Chen Dalao's forced assault on the He family's eldest daughter back then?"
In truth, Lu Ying was thinking the same thing.
Yan Shifan wouldn't have mentioned the He family, who had been dead for ten years, without reason.
Lu Ying said, "Walls have ears. Perhaps the atrocities committed by Thousand Household Chen and his son had leaked out, and Vice Minister Yan learned of them. Thousand Household Chen might have paid a bribe to Yan Shifan to cover it up."
Hearing this, Wang Daxia stepped back in shock, "Commander Lu, Vice Minister Yan is your relative! How can you speculate like this about your own family?"
Everyone knew that Lu Bing and Yan Shifan were related by marriage through their children.
Yet Lu Ying showed no hesitation whatsoever.
She wrote Yan Shifan's name in her small notebook, "Relatives are relatives, but a case is a case. There's no contradiction. Even Doctor Wei remains a suspect to this day—of course I will follow this lead regarding Vice Minister Yan."Wang Daxia clicked his tongue repeatedly, "Isn't this like the dragon king of the waters clashing with his own temple—family failing to recognize family? If Commander Lu is investigating Vice Minister Yan, what about your second elder sister and her husband?"
Wang Daxia believed Lu Ying to be Lu Bing's illegitimate child.
Lu Ying replied calmly, "My second elder sister is well-educated and reasonable, and her husband is a gentleman accomplished in both literary and martial arts. They won't obstruct my search for the truth. Besides, Vice Minister Yan isn't a suspect yet. Since he mentioned Lord He, he must know some inside information about what happened back then. What if Lord He still has relatives or friends out there who killed Thousand Household Chen and his son to avenge the He family? This is a new lead, and I'll follow it up personally."
Wang Daxia said, "Commander Lu, you just suspected that Thousand Household Chen used silver to bribe Vice Minister Yan. This... since they're all family, isn't it awkward to investigate?"
Lu Ying smiled faintly, "Stop pretending in front of me. I know my second sister's father-in-law's behavior better than you do. He loves money even more than you do. When others offer him money to get things done, as long as it's not rebellion, he'll take the money and handle it. Not to mention Thousand Household Chen, even my father has personally bribed Vice Minister Yan several times. Vice Minister Yan never refuses just because my father is his in-law—he accepts it all."
Wang Daxia was dumbfounded: The world of the powerful is terrifying! I thought I was already shameless enough in chasing money, but it seems I overestimated myself!
Author's note: Yan Song and Yan Shifan, father and son: When it comes to being villains, we two are professionals.
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