"Uncle Yan, stop!" Lu Ying said. "It was I who sent people to monitor Ding Wu, I who tracked him here, and I who used a bait-and-switch tactic to rescue him. The person hanging on the waterwheel was always this decoy. By now, Ding Wu has already been sent to the Imperial Guard Office. Since things have come to this, Uncle Yan, you should let it go."
Influenced by close association, the straightforward Lu Ying had learned to lie under Wang Daxia's subtle influence. If Yan Shifan were to barge into the neighboring house to search, the Lu family villa only had an old caretaker, and Ding Wu would surely fall back into Yan Shifan's hands.
So Lu Ying simply claimed that Ding Wu had already been taken away.
"You want me to let it go?" Yan Shifan trembled with rage, his ample flesh quivering. "You all collaborated to put on a fine show, deceived me, and now you want me to let it go? And you keep calling me Uncle—at my age, to be manipulated by a junior like you!"
This was not the time to provoke Yan Shifan further, or else Wang Daxia would be burned into "Wang Big Shrimp." Lu Ying rarely backed down, but now she conceded, "Uncle Yan, my second sister is your daughter-in-law, and I've always respected you as an elder. You and my father have disagreements about how to handle Ding Rukui, but such matters between adults are beyond my understanding as a junior. I only follow orders—my father says what to do, and I do it. I merely carried out the command to rescue Ding Wu. There was never any intention to manipulate an elder."
Lu Ying shifted all responsibility onto her father, subtly reminding Yan Shifan that protecting the Ding father and son was her father's idea, not hers. If you have issues, take it up with him.
After all, you're in-laws—you won't tear into each other openly.
Yan Shifan wasn't easily swayed by Lu Ying's words. "You follow your father's orders, and he follows yours. Young man, before acting, you should consider the consequences. You must know what happens to those who cross me. If you want to be a pawn, understand that frontline pawns die the fastest."
With that, Yan Shifan pressed the torch against Wang Daxia's arm.
"Ah!"
Wang Daxia screamed as a large blister immediately formed on his arm.
"Don't touch him!" Lu Ying struggled to rush to Wang Daxia's aid, but two guards firmly pinned her to the chair, immobilizing her.
A wise man doesn't fight when the odds are against him. In excruciating pain, Wang Daxia promptly changed his tune. "I was wrong! I beg for Vice Minister Yan's mercy! I shouldn't have served as a pawn for the Lu father and son! They only know how to use me, not protect me. I wish to defect to Vice Minister Yan's side, to serve you faithfully, even through fire and water, without hesitation!"
Having spoken, Wang Daxia knelt and pleaded for forgiveness.
Yan Shifan ceased the branding torture, brushed the wet hair from Wang Daxia's face behind his ears, revealing a handsome countenance.
Yan Shifan studied him closely. "That night I visited Ding Rukui in the death cell, you were the one fanning me."
Remaining on his knees, Wang Daxia nodded obsequiously. "Yes, yes, Vice Minister Yan has an excellent memory. It was indeed this humble one. It seems fate has destined me to follow you—this is heaven's arranged fate!"
When the cunning genius Yan Shifan, filled with schemes, met the profligate Wang Daxia, brimming with lies, it was a clash of titans—a contest to see who had less shame.Yan Shifan said to Lu Ying, "It seems even your father can misjudge people one day. Those he selected are all loyal, even that ugly Masked Wu refused to betray him until death, not uttering a single word. Yet tonight, this pretty boy only needs a torch burn to switch allegiances and kneel before me like a dog."
Having spent some time together, Lu Ying and Wang Daxia shared a tacit understanding. She immediately recognized this as a stalling tactic, waiting for her father to bring reinforcements. She feigned fury, "A man's knees are worth gold! You traitor!"
"What gold? I haven't seen a speck of it! All I see are blisters on my arm as big as the God of Longevity's forehead," Wang Daxia complained pitifully. "Is Ding Wu's life precious while mine is worthless? I followed your orders, replaced Ding Wu on the waterwheel, nearly drowned to death, half-alive, and now I'm getting burned. Wasn't I promised a life of luxury and reaching the pinnacle after joining the Embroidered Uniform Guard? This isn't the pinnacle—it's the road to the underworld! Commander Lu, you're well-fed and don't know the hunger of the starving. I don't have a powerful father to rely on—I need to find a way to survive."
Lu Ying retorted, "Didn't I come to rescue you? I didn't abandon you."
Wang Daxia pointed at the blisters on his right arm, "Your intentions mean nothing if you can't act on them! Thank goodness it's just my arm—if it were my face, my handsome looks would be ruined! Do you think it's easy maintaining this level of attractiveness?"
Lu Ying scolded, "Coward! That pretty face is wasted on you!"
Yan Shifan asked Wang Daxia, "Where is Ding Wu?"
"Well—" Wang Daxia hesitated, glancing sideways at Lu Ying with shifty eyes.
Lu Ying erupted, "How dare you—"
Yan Shifan blocked Lu Ying like a human wall, personally helping Wang Daxia up. "Switching sides isn't just empty words. I need your pledge of loyalty—and Ding Wu is the perfect offering. Tell me, where is he? Which route are they taking him to the Imperial Guard Office?"
Wang Daxia explained, "Commander Lu was lying to you earlier. Ding Wu was never sent to the Imperial Guard Office. Since the Goldfish Pond is far from the inner city, and the gates will soon close for curfew, it'd be hard to return in time. If locked outside, Vice Minister Yan's men would likely capture him. So, Commander Lu ordered Ding Wu hidden in Tianqing Temple—the nearest temple to the pond."
Lu Ying said coldly, "Uncle Yan, how can you trust the words of a traitor? He's deceiving you."
Wang Daxia insisted, "Vice Minister Yan, my life and fortune are in your hands—how could I deceive you? Even if you send men to search Tianqing Temple immediately, it'd be useless. Who knows where they're hiding in such a vast temple? Fortunately, they don't know I've joined your ranks. I'm willing to use myself as bait to lure out Ding Wu as my pledge of loyalty to you."
Lu Ying fell into despairing silence, leaning back in her chair and ceasing to struggle. Internally, she thought: Finding an escape opportunity at Tian'an Temple would be easier than in this wolf's den of a villa. Wang Daxia had previously "requisitioned" an amulet and a bronze Buddha from Tian'an Temple—those monks must remember him.
Seeing Lu Ying's expression, Yan Shifan knew Wang Daxia spoke the truth. "There's no time to waste. We go now."Wang Daxia pointed at his clothes burned through by the torch and the translucent blisters. "I need to change clothes and bandage my wounds. If they see my injuries, they might think I couldn't endure the torture and betrayed Commander Lu."
Yan Shifan raised an eyebrow. "Oh, quite clever. Someone, get him medicine and bandages, and give him a set of night-walking clothes."
While being treated, Wang Daxia deliberately cried out dramatically as if in extreme pain. He dawdled while changing clothes, trying to delay as much as possible while waiting for reinforcements.
Yan Shifan urged, "Hurry up. I'll give you half an hour to bring Ding Wu back."
While changing into new clothes, Wang Daxia secretly took out the oilpaper package given by Wei Caiwei to check it. The package was tightly wrapped, and the powder inside hadn't melted or gotten wet.
It's still usable. This thing should be able to instantly knock out five people when they're unprepared.
Wang Daxia hid the oilpaper package properly, straightened his clothes and came out. "I'll go now. I only need five people to bring Ding Wu back."
Yan Shifan waved his hand. "I'll give you fifty."
With fifty people, I won't be able to escape!
Wang Daxia said, "Too many people will alert them. They won't trust me anymore."
Yan Shifan replied, "Five will disguise as monks and go with you to Tianqing Temple. The remaining forty-five will follow at a distance, surrounding the temple and guarding all necessary routes, just in case."
Wang Daxia flattered wildly, "Vice Minister Yan's consideration is truly thorough! Vice Minister Yan is brilliant!"
This old fox is always scheming.
Wang Daxia realized Yan Shifan wasn't easy to deceive, but in this situation, he had to stall for time however he could. Otherwise, Yan Shifan would greet his handsome face with a torch.
I can't let my face be ruined. It was because of this handsome face that Doctor Wei took a liking to me at first sight, reminded Zhou Xiaoqi to shoot a cold arrow, and saved my life.
My current face can compete with Ding Wu's. If it gets ruined, I'll lose my biggest advantage.
Lu Ying secretly worried for Wang Daxia's life, never expecting that Wang Daxia, who had swallowed a bellyful of goldfish pond water and was facing death, still had the mood to be jealous.
Yan Shifan's Death Warriors immediately shaved their heads, put on monk robes, and followed Wang Daxia. Among them was the man disguised as Masked Wu.
Wang Daxia waved his hand grandly. "Let's go." For now, he could only take one step at a time and see what happened.
Just as they walked from the Self-Rain Pavilion to the pond's edge, they saw the southeast direction of the villa suddenly light up like lightning!
Then the evening wind brought a wave of heat and the smell of smoke.
"Fire! The bamboo forest is on fire!"
A team of guards ran over. "Vice Minister! The bamboo forest is burning. This place isn't safe. Please leave quickly!"
The Kong family villa was the only place that could prevent the Embroidered Uniform Guard from barging in to search. How could Yan Shifan easily leave? He said, "If there's fire, go put it out. This is the Goldfish Pond, surrounded by water. What's there to fear from a bamboo forest fire?"
No sooner had he spoken than, as if the fire felt insulted by his words, the southern night sky turned red again from the flames.
"The pine forest is on fire too!"
Yan Shifan felt this couldn't be a coincidence. He asked Wang Daxia, "Your accomplices set these fires, didn't they?"Wang Daxia thought to himself, judging by the method of setting fires everywhere, it was most likely Wei Caiwei's doing. He said, "It wasn't us, it was them. I'm now Vice Minister Yan's man. This was prearranged—if Commander Lu and I didn't return for a long time, they would set the fires."
Yan Shifan asked, "Why set fires?"
"Because—" Wang Daxia didn't understand why Wei Caiwei was setting fires everywhere either, "because they believe Vice Minister Yan fears death. The Goldfish Pond area is full of pools and ponds that block the fire from spreading to the Self-Rain Pavilion, but the smoke and dust are too choking. Vice Minister Yan's precious health might not withstand it."
Yan Shifan said, "Playing with fire and getting burned—setting fires invites self-destruction. Quickly capture this person, bind them with iron wire, and throw them into the fire."
"Yes!"
Wang Daxia's heart raced with anxiety!
Yan Shifan urged, "You do your part—go to Tianqing Temple and arrest Ding Wu."
At the same time, Wei Caiwei's figure was illuminated by the firelight as a group of guards chased after her. Wei Caiwei couldn't outrun them. She opened an oil-paper package and threw the powder inside backward. The guards were caught off guard—their eyes, noses, and throats, everywhere the powder touched, felt as if flames were burning.
The guards screamed in agony, covering their eyes and rolling on the ground.
Wei Caiwei temporarily escaped and fled toward the plum grove, but another wave of guards pursued her. If Yan Shifan hadn't ordered her captured alive to be burned, she would likely have been shot full of holes like a sieve.
Just then, scaling ladders were propped against the courtyard gate. Well-trained Embroidered Uniform Guards climbed the ladders, scaled the walls into the courtyard, repelled the gatekeepers, and opened the gate.
Lu Bing, riding a horse, led the charge as he galloped across the courtyard gate, followed by about five hundred Embroidered Uniform Guard cavalry. These elites formed a human wall, separating Wei Caiwei from her pursuers.
Wei Caiwei hurriedly told Lu Bing, "Wang Daxia and Commander Lu are both in the Self-Rain Pavilion."
Lu Bing rode straight to the Self-Rain Pavilion, surrounding the Goldfish Pond. At this moment, Wang Daxia, who had been dawdling, hadn't yet gone out to "arrest anyone."
Vice Minister Yan sneered, "What a bold Lord Lu, daring to barge into the Duke Yansheng's villa. It seems the censors will have plenty to say tomorrow. Lord Lu, just wait to be impeached."
Lu Bing pointed to the surrounding fires and ordered his subordinates, "Why are you still standing there? Go help put out the fires!"
Lu Bing smiled at his in-law and said, "Vice Minister Yan, you misunderstand. I came to extinguish the fire. How could I stand by idly when my neighbor's property is burning? When the city gate catches fire, the fish in the moat suffer—if the Kong family's villa burns down, my home won't be spared either."
Wang Daxia suddenly understood the purpose of Wei Caiwei setting the fires: to give Lu Bing a legitimate reason to enter and exit the Kong family villa.
Author's note: Yan Shifan: Yet another scheme.
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