Wei Caiwei did not hear Chen Jingji's words. The moment she saw Thousand Household Chen in mourning attire, a surge of fury ignited in her mind, scorching her soul from head to toe.
Thousand Household Chen was a hypocrite and a true villain who deceived his comrades and betrayed his promises.
In her previous life, during the Gengxu Incident, Anda Khan led his Mongol troops straight in, looting the outer city of Beijing for half a month.
The outer city was reduced to scorched earth, and the common people fled to the capital to escape the war. However, Yan Song, the Chief Grand Secretary of the Grand Secretariat, ordered the city gates closed, claiming that Anda Khan would withdraw once he had plundered enough. If the gates were opened then, the pursuing Mongol soldiers would likely mix in with the refugees and charge into the capital.
Lu Bing, the Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, could not bear to see the refugees kneeling outside the city, begging for entry.
Lu Bing was not only the head of the Embroidered Uniform Guard but also the milk brother of the Jiajing Emperor, enjoying the emperor's utmost trust. He pleaded with the emperor to open the city gates and allow the refugees in first, promising to dispatch a squad of the Embroidered Uniform Guard to cover their retreat and prevent the Mongol soldiers from charging into the capital.
This mission was extremely perilous, and the dispatched squad was essentially a suicide team. The Great Ming had enjoyed peace for so long that, aside from the Japanese Pirates causing trouble along the southeastern coast, the northern regions had not seen war for over a century. Most soldiers were merely serving for a living, but there were still those whose blood had not yet run cold.
Wei Caiwei's father, Lord He, volunteered to join the suicide squad and cover the refugees' retreat. Before leaving the city, Lord He entrusted all his family's assets to his comrade, close friend, and in-law, Thousand Household Chen, and gave his final instructions:
"My chances of returning are slim, but fortunately, our children are already betrothed, making us one family. If I do not come back... my eldest daughter's dowry has long been prepared. The He family's property will be divided equally between the two sisters. After the three-year mourning period, my eldest daughter will marry into your Chen family. The sisters are deeply attached, so she will surely bring her younger sister along when she marries. By then, the second daughter will be ten years old. She will trouble your family for a few years, and her elder sister and brother-in-law will arrange a stable marriage for her before she leaves to start her own family."
Thousand Household Chen shed tears and thumped his chest, promising without hesitation: "Why speak so formally between family? We've been friends for so many years, since we were toddlers in split pants. I've always regarded your two daughters as my own. Don't say such discouraging words—you will surely return."
Lord He trusted Thousand Household Chen and, with his family entrusted, set off with the Embroidered Uniform Guard suicide squad without any worries. As refugees poured into the inner city, only this squad moved against the tide, advancing toward the outer city.
Sure enough, when Mongol scouts saw that gates like Fuchengmen had opened to admit refugees, they immediately dispatched troops to attack.
The Embroidered Uniform Guard suicide squad engaged the Mongol vanguard, and to protect the refugees and the city gates, not a single one retreated—all fought to the death.
Lord He died in the line of duty and should have been honored, so why was he instead branded a criminal, his family property confiscated, and his two daughters punished by being made government slaves?
Thousand Household Chen was the chief culprit.
The Gengxu Incident was the Great Ming's greatest humiliation since the Tumu Crisis over a century earlier (when the Zhengtong Emperor was captured by the Mongols). After Anda Khan withdrew, public outrage surged. The ultimate responsibility, of course, lay with the Jiajing Emperor, who had neglected court affairs for over two decades, allowed military affairs to decay, and secluded himself in the palace pursuing immortality and alchemy.
But the emperor was the sovereign—could the sovereign be wrong?
No. The core value of feudal society was the hierarchy of ruler and subject, father and son. The emperor could not be wrong; he could only be misled.
When the ruler erred, women or officials had to bear the blame to absolve the sovereign.Emperor Jiajing was notoriously harsh and ungrateful to his empress and consorts. Without a favored concubine like Yang Yuhuan to shoulder the blame, he could only push his ministers forward to be executed in order to quell public anger.
Grand Secretariat Chief Yan Song pushed Minister of War Ding Rukui to take the fall, sentencing him to death with deferred execution.
The Embroidered Uniform Guard, as the intelligence agency of the Great Ming, had actually been completely unaware of Anda Khan's attack on Beijing. They certainly deserved charges of "delaying military affairs and negligence in oversight." However, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Lu Bing, was Emperor Jiajing's milk brother, so naturally no one dared to impeach him. The responsibility thus fell on the officials one rank below.
The deceased Lord He and the still-living Thousand Household Chen were both intelligence officers in the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Facing the imminent threat of having their families executed and properties confiscated, Thousand Household Chen panicked. He sold off all the assets Lord He had entrusted to him, added half of the Chen family's wealth, and gathered fifty thousand taels of silver to bribe Yan Shifan, the son of Grand Secretariat Chief Yan Song, seeking guidance.
Yan Shifan accepted the money and pointed out a way to survive: "If the guillotine doesn't claim a few officials and a few families aren't ruined, how can public anger be appeased? Isn't that Lord He already dead? The dead can't speak to defend themselves. Just shift the blame for 'intelligence failures and delaying military affairs' onto him."
Thousand Household Chen hesitated, "But... he's my in-law."
Yan Shifan laughed, "In-law? Even better. Wouldn't that make you a righteous hero sacrificing personal ties? Not only would you be innocent, but you'd even be credited."
Faced with the choice between friendship and his future, Thousand Household Chen unhesitatingly chose the latter.
Thousand Household Chen forged several intelligence reports stating "Anda Khan shows unusual movements," listing Lord He as the receiving officer. Thus, Lord He became the negligent official who failed to report intelligence in time.
Lord He was sentenced to execution of his entire family. Fortunately, the Embroidered Uniform Guard commander Lu Bing still remembered Lord He's merit in voluntarily requesting to join the battle. He submitted a memorial stating that although Lord He had delayed military affairs, he had ultimately died in battle protecting refugees. His merits could offset his crimes, and he pleaded for mercy to spare his two daughters from death.
The sentence was eventually commuted to confiscation of property and sale into official slavery. To prevent leaks and fearing Commander Lu Bing might intervene again, Thousand Household Chen pretended to be a good person, purchasing the two sisters and keeping them in a rural estate.
Thousand Household Chen originally intended to let the sisters fend for themselves. However, his son Chen Dalao coveted the body of his former fiancée, Miss He. Using the younger sister's life to threaten the elder sister into submission, he raped Miss He and got her pregnant.
Chen Dalao was an irresponsible man. He told his father about the incident, demanding he clean up the mess, and repeatedly claimed that Miss He had seduced him.
At that time, Thousand Household Chen was arranging a new marriage for his son. Enraged by the news, he ordered his son to first stabilize the sisters and prevent them from speaking out, letting the elder sister die with her unborn child. He planned to eliminate the younger sister a few years later to avoid public discussion.
All this was later revealed when the powerful eunuch Wang Daxia secretly collaborated with court officials to overthrow Grand Secretariat Chief Yan Song, sending his son Yan Shifan and accomplices like Thousand Household Chen to the Eastern Depot prison, where they confessed under severe torture.
Yan Shifan was beheaded. Thousand Household Chen's clan was exterminated.
Wang Daxia helped Wei Caiwei exact revenge.
In this life, seeing her dead enemy Thousand Household Chen still alive, with his subordinates nearly having killed the young Wang Daxia before his self-castration, how could Wei Caiwei not be furious?
She wished she could take a knife and slice Thousand Household Chen into a thousand pieces!
"The Shuntian Prefecture is holding an overnight court session!" Chen the Agent parked the mule cart by the roadside. "Let's go listen to the trial."At the entrance of the Shuntian Prefecture Yamen, Thousand Household Chen of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and Wang Commander of the Northern City Military Command crossed paths. Both being notable figures in the capital, their encounter avoided outright hostility. Instead, they each took a step back, demanding the Shuntian Prefecture Yamen interrogate the suspect Wang Daxia overnight.
Barricades stood outside the courtroom, beyond which onlookers crowded like packed dumplings. Chen the Agent, well-versed in street smarts, had his methods. He instructed Wei Caiwei to follow closely as he angled his body and thrust through the throng, shouting loudly while shoving, "Stop pushing! Everyone stop! I'm about to be flattened!"
Slipping through like a loach, Chen the Agent led Wei Caiwei to the front row by the barricades, where they glimpsed the brightly lit courtroom of the Shuntian Prefecture Yamen. Seated solemnly inside was the Shuntian Prefecture Governor, flanked on either side by two secretaries.
Chen the Agent whispered an explanation: "That's Lord Wang, nicknamed Wang Niqiu—the slickest of them all. The two secretaries for legal and financial affairs are dubbed the 'Snorting and Puffing Generals.'"
Without even slamming the gavel, Wang Niqiu began, "We've been at this till now—everyone must be tired. Come, speak while seated."
The Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Northern City Military Command sat on opposite sides, maintaining their standoff. Wang Daxia plopped down beside his father. "Father, you've finally come! A moment later, and your son might have been minced into paste!"
Thwack!
Wang Commander smacked the back of Wang Daxia's head. "For a scoundrel like you, I've nearly lost several key officers from the Northern City Military Command!"
Right from the start, Wang Commander adopted the posture of Liu Bei throwing down his son A Dou to pacify his subordinates injured in the brawl.
The Northern City Military Command guards uniformly insisted, "Sir, you misunderstand—this time it truly wasn't Second Young Master's fault."
Wang Commander shoved Wang Daxia. "How dare you remain seated? In this courtroom, a commoner like you must kneel to speak. There's no seat for you here! You lack all propriety!"
No wonder it's said that commoners suing officials is as difficult as moving mountains. Those with scholarly honors or official status may stand before authorities, but idlers like Wang Daxia, who fritter away their days without achievement, remain commoners who must kneel to plead their case in court.
Wang Commander avoided provoking conflict by first disciplining his son. When one shows respect, it is returned tenfold. Wang Niqiu signaled with his eyes, and immediately an attendant brought a soft cushion.
Wang Daxia knelt on the cushion, settling his weight on his heels in a kneeling-sitting position.
Wang Commander bowed to Thousand Household Chen and said, "I was deeply shocked to hear of your son's misfortune in the Northern City. As a father myself, I understand the grief of losing a child and the urgency to solve the case. I promptly ordered the Northern City Military Command to increase patrols and assist Shuntian Prefecture in the investigation. Later, I learned that there was some misunderstanding between your men and my worthless son, leading to a public altercation that chased from Wanping all the way to Daxing, even breaking the grievance drum at the Shuntian Prefecture Yamen. Though the cause remains unclear, since it originated with my son, I first offer my apologies to you, Lord Chen."
Despite Wang Commander's humble stance, Thousand Household Chen remained expressionless. "You have three sons. Even if this wastrel were killed, you'd still have two left. But our Chen family has had only one heir for five generations. I have just one son, who after eight years of marriage has yet to give me any grandchildren. Now that my eldest... is gone, our Chen line is severed, our bloodline cut off. How could you possibly comprehend my sorrow? Whoever killed my son will pay with their life."Thousand Household Chen cast a cold glance at Wang Daxia, who was kneeling in a sloppy posture. "Better to mistakenly kill a hundred than let one guilty escape. Everyone who had conflicts with my son has been arrested and interrogated in the Imperial prison. They all cooperated obediently—only your son stands out. Not only did he resist arrest, but he also fled through the streets, causing a citywide uproar. Commander Wang, if it were your son who met with misfortune and a suspect reacted so violently, wouldn’t you also suspect him to be the murderer?"
Wang Daxia cried out in grievance, "It wasn’t me! Truly, it wasn’t me. I left early in the morning and only returned to the city at dusk. My mother’s house was rented out by an agent without my consent. I beat up the agent and tried to negotiate with the tenant to vacate the property. All of this happened in Wanping County—I never set foot in Daxing County, where Chen Dalao from the government school met with trouble."
Wang Niqiu finally remembered his duty and asked, "Is there anyone who can corroborate your story?"
Wang Daxia replied, "The neighbors in Tianshui Lane and the beaten agent, Chen Jingji, can all testify for me."
Wang Niqiu slammed the gavel and declared, "Bring the residents of Tianshui Lane and Chen Jingji to the court for questioning."
Thousand Household Chen raised a hand to interject, "The west side of the Wang residence borders Tianshui Lane. They’re all neighbors—of course they’ll speak in Wang Daxia’s favor. Their testimonies cannot be trusted."
Wang Daxia argued, "Then summon Chen Jingji. I beat him up, so he holds a grudge against me. He certainly won’t shield me and will state the facts truthfully."
Wang Niqiu ordered, "Very well, fetch Chen Jingji. We will recess for now and rest in the back, have some tea, and resume the trial once Chen Jingji arrives."
Behind the barricade, Chen Jingji overheard that the authorities were seeking him for questioning and immediately lowered his head, pretending to be invisible. As a merchant, it was best not to get involved in lawsuits. "I won’t go home to sleep tonight," he thought. "I’ll find a friend to put me up."
As he pondered this, Wei Caiwei behind him began shrieking, "Stop pushing! Stop pushing!" while shoving Chen Jingji forward. Chen Jingji’s abdomen collided with a wooden pole of the barricade, and he gasped in pain, stifling a cry—if Wang Daxia heard him and dragged him in as a witness, it would be disastrous!
But how could Wei Caiwei let Chen Jingji turtle up and allow Wang Daxia to suffer unjustly?
When one plan failed, she devised another. Feigning concern, Wei Caiwei gently patted Chen Jingji’s lower back. "Agent Chen! Are you alright? I hope you didn’t injure your kidneys!"
Hearing that familiar voice and name, Wang Daxia, kneeling on a cushion, turned his head and fixed his gaze. "Well, isn’t this a coincidence! Agent Chen! Come here, come here! The prefect is looking for you to give a statement. Hurry up and explain when, where, and how I beat you!"
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