"Murder!"
The onlookers thought the unconscious Chen Jingji had died and began shouting in alarm. "Help!" Li Jiubao, trapped inside the carriage, frantically pounded on the door until her knuckles bled.
The mounted thug panicked and spurred his horse to flee, while the carriage driver hastily followed. Suddenly, a dark figure leaped onto the carriage, kicked the driver off the shaft, halted the vehicle, then swung his whip to lasso the mounted thug's neck, yanking him off his horse.
Wang Daxia swiftly subdued two thugs. The remaining five scattered in panic, but Wei Caiwei tore open both her and Wang Daxia's money pouches, pouring out gleaming silver. "Bounty! Two taels for each one caught! Paid on the spot!"
While righteous intervention was rare—most ordinary people dared not provoke these ruffians—the prospect of money changed everything. Seeing Wei Caiwei's generous display of silver, the crowd surged forward, emboldened by their numbers, and captured the five fleeing thugs to claim the reward.
Just then, the Northern City Military Command patrol arrived upon hearing the commotion. They bound all seven thugs and freed Li Jiubao, who saw Wei Caiwei kneeling beside Chen Jingji, tending to his wounds.
"Brother Chen!" Li Jiubao rushed forward but was stopped by the patrol. "Miss, he's still alive. Doctor Wei is treating him. Don't disturb them."
Chen Jingji's injury was in a private area, with blood soaking through his trousers and even seeping into the riverbank soil. At risk of bleeding to death, Wei Caiwei disregarded gender propriety and instructed Wang Daxia to remove Chen's bloodied pants for treatment.
Upon examining the wound, both Wei Caiwei and Wang Daxia gasped—the hardened horseshoe had crushed both his genitalia and scrotum beyond repair.
Fortunately, Wei Caiwei had just returned from the imperial medical examination and carried a fully stocked medicine pouch. She swiftly threaded a needle, sutured the base, built a fire, sterilized a blade over the flames, quenched it in strong liquor, and excised the mangled flesh.
After pouring hemostatic powder over the wound and bandaging it, she barely managed to stop the bleeding.
"I've used all my medicine. Carry him to my home for further treatment."
Wang Daxia removed his outer robe to cover Chen Jingji's body. The Northern City Military Command personnel lifted him into the carriage.
Li Jiubao followed aboard, dry-eyed but staring fixedly at his bloodied lower body, silently resolving herself.
Luckily, they were close to home. Passing through Shichahai and Gulou West Diagonal Street, they reached Tianshui Lane. Ding Wu had prepared dinner, awaiting Wei Caiwei's return, but instead saw her step down from the carriage, hands stained with blood.
Wei Caiwei said, "Brother Ding, quickly buy some ice to cool the side room."
Chen Jingji's injury, located in a sensitive area requiring daily urination, posed extreme risk in the sweltering summer heat where infection could prove fatal—hence why castrations were never performed in summer.
Wang Daxia interjected, "No need to buy any. My family has an icehouse. I'll have servants deliver ice immediately."
Since ice melted easily, Wang Daxia ordered servants to deliver fresh batches to the neighbors' house every two hours without fail.
This extravagance distressed the lady of the house, Madam Wu. By the next day, she falsely claimed the ice supply was exhausted. When Wang Daxia returned home threatening to break into the icehouse, Madam Wu relented but later wept to Wang Commander about Wang Daxia's disrespect.Officer Mu defended Wang Daxia, saying, "He was only trying to save someone. For someone like him who's grown up this way, it's rare to see him do a good deed. This is still better than causing trouble outside."
Wang Commander thought it made sense and said to Madam Wu, "Let him be."
Madam Wu wept, "The hottest summer days aren't even over yet, and the ice in the icehouse is nearly depleted. Do you only have one son? As an adult, I can endure the heat, but Daqiu is still young—he needs ice for his afternoon naps and nighttime sleep as well."
Wang Daqiu was Madam Wu's biological son, only three years old.
Wang Commander said, "Then go buy ice from outside for Daqiu."
Madam Wu replied, "Those who don't manage the household don't understand the cost of daily necessities. How much silver will we have to spend for this?"
Wang Commander felt a headache coming on from the noise. "You manage the income from our family's farmlands, properties, and shops. Are we really short of this little silver? Spend however much is needed—just don't let Daqiu suffer."
Wang Commander believed that since he only had two sons, he should treat them equally and not let either face hardship. Moreover, as a fifth-generation Hundred-Household Commander, his family was well-off and had never fallen into decline, so he never worried about daily expenses.
Madam Wu fell silent, feeling guilty. Some time ago, her elder brother had visited, telling her about an excellent business opportunity: lending money to newly appointed scholars who had passed the imperial examinations and were waiting in the capital for official appointments from the Ministry of Personnel.
Life in the capital was expensive, with many social obligations. It wasn't uncommon for officials from modest backgrounds to rely on loans in their early days. Once they secured positions, especially lucrative ones, their salaries became trivial—people would line up to offer them money, allowing them to repay old debts in full.
Uncle Wu had said, "Money breeds money, and interest compounds. These borrowers are respectable figures, scholars who passed both levels of the exams—are you worried they'll disappear with the money? By year's end, they'll return the principal with interest. Show the account books to your husband, and when he sees the extra profit, he'll surely praise your management skills."
But Madam Wu hesitated. "Lending does yield profits, but my husband has always forbidden it. He says as long as the family gets by, we shouldn't aim for great wealth."
"Oh, my dear lady," Uncle Wu replied, "who doesn't like money? If you place gleaming silver before him, how could he not be pleased? Besides, your husband is cautious—that has its pros and cons. He's been commander of the Northern City Military Command for over a decade without a promotion. At his age, and as a military officer, if he doesn't advance soon, he might miss his chance. Don't you want to elevate your own honorary title?"
This touched on Madam Wu's vanity. "Of course I do, but what does that have to do with lending?"
Uncle Wu explained, "For your husband to get promoted, he'll need to grease palms—and that requires money, the more the better. With enough silver, any official position is within reach."
Madam Wu was swayed and asked, "I can provide the silver, but are these borrowers reliable?"
Uncle Wu assured her, "You know of the Three-Link Bank, right? With the bank as guarantor, what is there to fear? They have plenty of funds."
Convinced, Madam Wu withdrew most of the liquid assets from the accounts—about five thousand taels of silver—and gave it to Uncle Wu to lend as official debt.
Madam Wu wasn't actually short of money for buying ice, but the sudden extra expense forced her, as the household manager, to plan more frugally for the long term. She returned to her maternal home and asked Uncle Wu to recover a thousand taels of silver first.Uncle Wu said, "It's only been a few days since we lent out the money? Demanding repayment so soon means we’ll lose all the interest—it’ll be an interest-free loan."
Madam Wu, not one to patiently explain herself, immediately flared up. "It’s my silver—I’ll handle it as I see fit. I’m a married woman now—does my brother think he can still manage my affairs?"
Uncle Wu replied, "I’m only thinking of what’s best for you."
Madam Wu snapped, "There’s a shortfall at home that needs covering. I want a thousand taels within three days—go collect it now." Using household duties as an excuse, she left without even staying for lunch.
Wu Dasao cautiously asked her husband, "What should we do? That money was lent out as high-interest loans—we can’t recall it on such short notice."
The truth was, there had never been any official debt guaranteed by the Three-Link Bank—it was all unofficial high-interest lending. Uncle Wu had intended to use the Wang family’s funds to generate profit, akin to "borrowing a chicken to lay eggs." By skimming half the interest, the Wu family could live comfortably for a year.
Uncle Wu sighed, "You know how headstrong my sister is. Hurry and find a way to gather a thousand taels for her. If she doesn’t see the money in three days, she’ll storm back here and make a scene."
Wu Dasao sneered, "She lent out the money behind her husband’s back—how dare she cause trouble? It’s easy to board a pirate ship but hard to disembark. We’re all in the same mud now—like a cricket refusing to eat toad flesh!"
Uncle Wu retorted, "Such shortsightedness! Think of how much she’s secretly funneled to our family since her marriage. Are you blind to that? Having Commander Wang as our in-law brings us prestige. Yes, she’s sharp-tongued, but she’s easily manipulated. If we burn bridges now, how will we siphon more funds from the Wang family later? Don’t kill the goose that lays golden eggs! Get her the thousand taels tomorrow—not in three days. We must placate her."
The next day, under the pretext of visiting his nephew Wang Daqiu, Uncle Wu delivered a thousand-tael draft to Madam Wu.
With funds secured, Madam Wu regained her confidence and dropped the matter. She splurged on ice to refill the nearly depleted icehouse that Wang Daxia had drained.
Through Wang Daxia’s financial support, Wei Caiwei’s medical skills, and Li Jiubao’s tireless care, Chen Jingji was wrested back from the brink of death, his life spared.
Over at Machang Hutong, Chen Jingji’s grandmother collapsed from a stroke upon hearing the news. Frail and aged, she had clung to life only to see her grandson marry and continue the family line. With Chen Jingji’s castration shattering her hopes, she—unlike the fortunate Lu Bing—could not be saved and passed away the next day.
The residents of Machang Hutong, ordinary folk bound by close-knit ties, rallied in the Chen family’s crisis. Though Chen Jingji briefly regained consciousness, agonizing pain left him thrashing. Wei Caiwei administered anesthetic powder to sedate him through the worst of it.
Immobilized, Chen Jingji relied on neighbors who pooled resources to arrange a dignified funeral for Old Madam Chen. Both Wei Caiwei and Wang Daxia contributed.
Li Jiubao’s father and brother rushed back from Sanlitun. Using his wages, Li Wei purchased a burial plot and quality coffin for the old woman. Weeping before the spirit tablet, he cursed his foolishness, slapped his own face raw, and swore to never gamble again.
But the dead could not return, and none of the neighbors paid him any mind. No one trusted the vows of a chronic gambler.Li Wei felt too ashamed to face anyone and returned to the construction site at Sanlitun that same day, claiming he needed to earn money for Chen Jingji’s medical treatment.
Due to the hot weather, the deceased could not be kept for long. Chen Laotaitai was laid to rest after three days, following an auspicious timing. During this period, Chen Jingji occasionally regained consciousness, but no one dared to tell him the news.
It was only after he was completely out of danger that Li Jiubao, waiting until he had finished his medicine, broke the tragic news of Chen Laotaitai’s passing.
Chen Jingji did not cry. He remained silent for a long time before saying, “Miss Li, I must trouble you to go to my home. Under the third floor tile beneath my bed, there is a hollow space containing one hundred taels of silver. Originally, it was meant for— Please bring the silver here. I intend to repay Doctor Wei and Young Master Wang Daxia in full. I know that during this time, expenses for medicine and ice have been considerable, and they will surely refuse, but I cannot take advantage of others. If I had no money, it would be one thing, but since there is money at home, I must cover my own medical costs.”
Li Jiubao agreed and said, “This matter began because of me. I am the one who caused your suffering. I have discussed it with my father and brother, and I…”
Biting her lip, Li Jiubao cast aside a maiden’s modesty and abruptly sat by the bed, grasping Chen Jingji’s hand. “After you observe the three-year mourning period for your grandmother, once the mourning is over, I will marry you. I know what you were going to say to me that night. You and I have been childhood friends, fond of each other since we were young. The only thing missing was to voice our feelings. I am destined to marry you.”
Chen Jingji let her hold his hand and slowly shook his head, his eyes filled with pity. “It is not your fault. This matter has nothing to do with you. It was your father’s gambling that nearly pushed you into a pit of fire. That night, I saved you, and though I was injured… I have no regrets. You must not blame yourself anymore. As a man without roots, how could I take a wife? Do not do something foolish.”
Tears fell one by one from Li Jiubao’s eyes onto the back of Chen Jingji’s hand. “I want to marry you because I like you, because my heart belongs to you. It comes from genuine feeling, not as compensation. Many couples live their whole lives without children and still manage. In the future, we can adopt one.”
Chen Jingji asked, “Earlier, you said you discussed it with your father and brother. In truth, you forced them by threatening to take your own life, didn’t you?”
Li Jiubao was taken aback. Chen Jingji understood her all too well. That day, she had indeed held a kitchen knife to her throat, coercing her father and brother into agreement.
At the time, her father and brother had suggested spending money to buy a docile and obedient girl from the countryside to be Chen Jingji’s wife, but Li Jiubao adamantly refused, insisting on marrying him herself. If they did not agree, she threatened to go to the Chen family herself to care for Chen Jingji, washing his clothes and cooking his meals, whether she had a formal status or not.
Her father and brother had no choice but to consent.
Li Jiubao shook her head. “How could that be? My father feels guilty about your grandmother’s death. He agreed to let me marry you.”
Chen Jingji said gently, “I understand your feelings. I am already mostly recovered and can return home to recuperate. I cannot keep staying at Doctor Wei’s place. Please go back first to retrieve the silver, settle the accounts with Doctor Wei and Young Master Wang Daxia, then bring the mule cart from home to take me back.”
Li Jiubao wiped her tears and returned to Machang Hutong.
As soon as she left, Chen Jingji immediately asked for Wang Daxia to come over and said, “I’ve heard that Second Young Master Wang has found success in the Embroidered Uniform Guard and now has connections. I have a request: I wish to enter the palace as a eunuch. I beg Second Young Master Wang to use his connections to help me get in. If I can achieve something in the future, I will surely repay you with unwavering loyalty.”
Wang Daxia was greatly surprised. “Hasn’t Miss Li already pledged her life to you?”"I lied to her," Chen Jingji said. "Outwardly she appears gentle and compliant, but inwardly she's resolute and strong-willed. If I had bluntly refused her, she would have certainly made a scene and refused to accept it. A rootless man like me isn't worthy of such a blooming beauty. Only by entering the palace as a eunuch—as they say, once you enter the palace gates, it's as deep as the sea—with layers of palace walls separating us, can we sever our attachment. I also told her that this time I was bullied by villains, and even if she married me in the future, with my abilities, I wouldn't be able to protect a beauty like her."
"I wanted to tell her that I don't wish to marry, nor do I want to raise another's child and live a cowardly life, constantly worrying that even if I held a beautiful flower in my hands, it might be snatched away. She is no longer my lover, just my burden. I will enter the palace as a eunuch, strive to climb higher, achieve something significant, and eventually become a powerful eunuch whom no one dares to bully. This is my choice. For her and me, our fate ends here. From now on, we go our separate ways."
Author's Note: Such a fine couple, ruined by that wretched gambler Li Wei, leaving everything in chaos. I drank too much coffee today—my heart is racing, and my hands are shaking, so my typing is slow. Sorry for the late update, but I'll definitely be on time tomorrow.
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