Lu Ying was concerned about her father's health and quickly asked, "How are you feeling now? Any discomfort?"
Lu Bing replied, "Not bad, just feeling a bit feverish. Don't worry, those Taoist priests wouldn't dare to put potent drugs in the elixirs. The Emperor has been taking them for over thirty years and is still fine. I only take a few pills occasionally—it's nothing serious."
The elixirs largely followed the formula of the Five Minerals Powder from the Wei and Jin periods. After consumption, they caused mental excitement and bodily heat, necessitating loose clothing and loosened hair, even going barefoot in winter while sweating profusely without feeling cold.
Hearing about the heat, Lu Ying ordered more ice to be brought for relief. "Father, you should be cautious. In the future, if you're granted elixirs, don't take them on the spot. Say you'll bring them home to offer to the ancestors, then quietly discard them once you're back."
Lu Bing opened his eyes: "That's the crime of deceiving the sovereign!"
Lu Ying said, "Then don't throw them away—I'll take them. I want to experience the Emperor's boundless grace too." Recently influenced by Wang Daxia's "corruption," she had become more adept at deftly contradicting her elders.
Irritated, Lu Bing removed the bamboo crown bestowed by the Emperor, loosening his hair, which had been tightly bound. "Don't talk nonsense. What young lady takes elixirs?"
Lu Ying earnestly advised her father, "Your body can't withstand it now. Although the Emperor has taken elixirs for over thirty years without incident, most of the imperial princes and princesses have died young. Of eight sons and five daughters, only two sons and two daughters survived to adulthood. Prince Yu barely managed to have two sons and two daughters, but they all died young. Now there isn't a single imperial grandson—isn't this due to the Emperor taking elixirs?The terrifyingly high mortality rate among the Jiajing Emperor's royal family was the worst in imperial history. Although the women married into the royal family bore many children, few survived. The reason was widely understood but no one dared to voice it.
"Audacious!" Lu Bing, affected by the elixirs, was irritable and impulsive. Hearing Lu Ying repeatedly contradict him and criticize the Emperor, he grew agitated. "You're far too bold, daring to recklessly discuss the Emperor? This could lead to the confiscation of our property and extermination of our clan. With this attitude, how can I trust you with responsibilities? You might bring disaster upon our family. If you speak recklessly again, you might as well return home and embroider in the women's quarters."
The elixirs not only harmed the body but also the mind. After taking them, the Jiajing Emperor became manic and cold-blooded, often beating palace servants to death. One maid named Yang Hongying, unable to endure it, attempted to strangle the sleeping Jiajing Emperor at night.
Lu Ying's face turned pale with anger. Recently busy with paperwork, helping her father handle official duties—tasks she never enjoyed—she had done it out of necessity to care for his health. Now that her father had lost his temper, her own temper flared. Not one to endure insults passively, she could no longer restrain herself and stormed out, slamming the door.
Riding her horse through the streets just as the government offices were closing, Lu Ying encountered Ding Wu and Wang Daxia returning together to the northern part of the city. Ding Wu, newly appointed as a warehouse keeper in the Embroidered Uniform Guard with Lu Ying's recommendation and living far away, had been provided a horse by the office for convenience.
Spotting Lu Ying, Ding Wu quickly rode up to greet her. "Commander Lu."
Wang Daxia, hiding behind a shop banner with his horse, thought: Is this guy out of his mind? We've just left the office—it's time to go home. When you run into a diligent superior like this, you should hide!
If they haven't seen you, why rush to greet them? That's just asking for trouble, forcing the superior to drag you back for overtime work.Wang Daxia was, at heart, a lazy and pleasure-seeking dandy. Once he finished the tasks assigned by his superior, he would simply hand them in and call it a day, unwilling to exert even an ounce of extra effort.
Lu Ying turned around and saw Ding Wu—and, of course, she also spotted Wang Daxia, who was trying to hide himself behind a street-side shop.
He had hidden quite well, except for the hindquarters of his horse, which remained exposed. The weather was stifling, and flies and mosquitoes were abundant. The horse’s tail swished back and forth, shooing away the insects.
Truly, he was covering his head but leaving his rear exposed.
Lu Ying nodded at Ding Wu, then called out, "Wang Daxia, come out. I need to go to the North City today—we’re heading in the same direction."
Wang Daxia immediately trotted out with a smile plastered on his face. "I was just looking at the menu boards outside the restaurants to see what looked good, so I didn’t notice you, Commander Lu. My apologies. Commander Lu, our North City is just a rural backwater—it’s nowhere near as bustling as the South and Central Cities. There’s really nothing worth seeing there."
Lu Ying replied, "I’m not going for leisure. I have business to attend to."
That made it even worse! I don’t want to be dragged into working overtime! I still need to have a chat with Doctor Wei tonight!
Just as Wang Daxia was about to speak, Ding Wu warmly invited, "Since we’re going the same way, let’s travel together. Commander Lu will surely need to eat dinner while she’s out on business. I didn’t have time to buy groceries and cook today, so please allow me to treat you to a meal at a restaurant as thanks for arranging this job for me."
Lu Ying had planned to grab a quick bite while in the North City and had no intention of socializing with Ding Wu.
She was about to refuse when Wang Daxia, seeing that Ding Wu wanted to host a dinner for Lu Ying to express gratitude for the warehouse manager position, quickly tried to extricate himself. "Since you’re the one treating, I’d feel awkward joining. I’ll buy some food from a restaurant tonight and bring it back for Doctor Wei."
With Ding Wu now employed, there was no one to cook. Wei Caiwei was highly skilled in medicine but completely inept in the kitchen. Back when Ding Wu was absent, she had eaten almost every meal at roadside stalls.
You eat your way, we’ll eat ours. Ever since Ding Wu arrived, I haven’t had a single meal alone with Wei Caiwei.
Just as Lu Ying was about to decline, Ding Wu added, "There’s a restaurant near the Pool of Accumulated Water that serves excellent lake delicacies, all sourced fresh from the lake. I’ve been there with Banxia—she said their sweet and sour fish is even better than mine, and she loved it. I’ll invite her to join us as well."
In truth, Ding Wu thought that since Lu Ying was a woman, she might be unwilling to dine alone with unrelated men. But inviting Banxia along would make a difference—with two women present, Lu Ying would likely not refuse his invitation.
Lu Ying had intended to decline, but upon hearing that the restaurant was near the Pool of Accumulated Water—a location relevant to her mission—she decided to go with the flow and accepted Ding Wu’s invitation. "Alright, I’ll go."
Wang Daxia, seeing that Wei Caiwei was about to dine with two men, felt a long-dormant jealousy stir within him. After spending time with them recently, he had come to believe that Ding Wu and Caiwei shared nothing more than a sibling-like bond, with no romantic involvement. He had just begun to feel at ease about Ding Wu, but now Lu Ying was joining them. He said:
"You’re talking about Lakeside Inn, right? I’ve been there many times. Their 'Eight Delicacies of the Lake' is the signature dish. I’d like to join too—Brother Ding, you don’t mind one more person, do you?"
Ding Wu thought: I do mind.
But being a refined gentleman, he couldn’t bring himself to say it aloud.
Wang Daxia declared, "Then it’s settled. Let’s split into two groups. You two head to Lakeside Inn first and order the dishes. I’ll go to Sweetwater Lane to pick up Doctor Wei. By the time we arrive, the food should be ready."
The three of them went their separate ways.The lakeside inn was located at the northwest corner of the Pool of Accumulated Water, right at the end of Head Lane, close to the lake.
As Ding Wu and Lu Ying passed by Head Lane, Lu Ying noticed the first shop in the lane was a store selling assorted goods from both northern and southern regions, along with various foreign products. Customers came and went, indicating brisk business.
The shop’s signboard read "Myriad Goods Trading Company." The store was spacious, occupying three shopfronts, with warehouses at the back. Merchants from various places came to deliver goods: Koreans brought ginseng, Japanese brought golden fans from their country, and people dressed in Mongolian attire from the north delivered furs and other items.
It truly had everything one could imagine, with up to ten thousand types of goods.
Seeing Lu Ying’s mount slow its pace, Ding Wu also pulled on his reins.
"I’m going to buy something," Lu Ying said, dismounting. A shop assistant warmly greeted him at the door, "What would you like to see, sir?"
Lu Ying replied, "Toys for children, nothing like rattle-drums—something novel."
In the end, Lu Ying selected a Russian nesting doll set, which contained nine wooden dolls in total.
Both of her elder sisters were now pregnant, and this was for her future nephews. Her second sister, married to Yan Shifan’s son, was due to give birth in the autumn.
Lu Ying left the Myriad Goods Trading Company with the wrapped doll and noticed that the shop next door had already closed down. A red paper was pasted at the entrance, reading "Prime Shop for Rent."
Head Lane had only about ten households. Apart from the first shop, Myriad Goods Trading Company, which thrived due to its proximity to the main street, Xinkai Road, the rest fared averagely. Since Myriad Goods Trading Company sold everything, customers had no reason to venture further down the lane. The remaining shops had either shut down, were up for sublease, or operated as inns, teahouses, and restaurants—businesses entirely different from the trading company.
Lu Ying quietly noted the situation in Head Lane. The lane ended at the Pool of Accumulated Water, with the lakeside inn right by the shore.
Lu Ying requested a special private room—the inn had several small decorated pleasure boats on the lake, allowing guests to dine while boating, though it required an extra fee for boat rental.
Ding Wu was hosting, so he naturally complied with the guest’s request. As the eight lake delicacies were served one by one on the boat’s dining table, Wang Daxia arrived with Wei Caiwei. The two boarded the pleasure boat, and Lu Ying asked, "Which of you can row a boat?"
Wang Daxia, who had essentially invited himself to the meal—as Ding Wu had not extended an invitation—felt somewhat guilty and raised his hand, saying, "I can."
Wang Daxia could handle almost anything except studying. He had won first place in the dragon boat race during the Dragon Boat Festival.
Lu Ying said, "You row the boat then. Let the boatman go ashore."
Coming from a noble family, Lu Ying had his preferences—he disliked having outsiders around during meals. Wang Daxia rowed the boat to the center of the lake, where the cool breeze was refreshingly pleasant.
When everyone had almost finished eating, with only Wang Daxia still nibbling on the tail of the sweet and sour fish, Lu Ying said, "Doctor Wei has opened a pharmacy in Head Lane, right? Tomorrow, rent the shop next to Myriad Goods Trading Company. The Embroidered Uniform Guard will cover the cost discreetly; you just need to handle the appearance."
This left both Ding Wu and Wang Daxia puzzled. Only Wei Caiwei guessed what Lu Ying intended to do—she was the one who had written those anonymous letters pointing out that Myriad Goods Trading Company was a White Lotus Sect lair and that there was an underground gunpowder storage beneath its warehouse.
Only five months remained until the Head Lane tragedy of her previous life. She was determined to prevent it from happening again.In this life, Thousand Household Chen was killed by her poison needle, and Wang Commander of the Northern City Military Command was about to be dismissed through the metropolitan evaluation. The newly appointed commander's identity remained unknown, leaving her with no one to trust.
Thus, Wei Caiwei's only reliable ally was Lu Ying. Through Lu Ying's meticulous investigation into the mysterious deaths of Thousand Household Chen and his son, as well as her efforts to locate and rescue Ding Wu, it was evident that Lu Ying was thorough, conscientious, and valued human life, possessing a compassionate heart. With Lu Bing as her backing, she could freely mobilize the resources, finances, and personnel of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.
Wei Caiwei believed Lu Ying had the capability to address the major threat in Headline Alley while minimizing civilian casualties. She thus sent several anonymous letters, which finally captured Lu Ying's attention.
Though inwardly clear-minded, Wei Caiwei feigned surprise on the surface. "Opening a pharmacy requires capital and is too exhausting. I can't manage it. It's easier to just practice medicine—diagnosing illnesses without dispensing medications."
"I'm not asking you to actually run one; it's just a cover," Lu Ying stated frankly, reassured by the surrounding lake that their conversation would not be overheard. "I've recently received multiple anonymous letters claiming that the Universal Trading Company in Headline Alley is a White Lotus Sect lair, with an underground gunpowder storage beneath its warehouse. The White Lotus Sect has committed heinous acts, shamelessly betraying the nation by guiding Mongol troops southward. A decade ago, during the Gengxu Rebellion, millions of civilians in the outskirts of the capital suffered devastating casualties. So, I'd rather err on the side of caution—what if it's true?"
"I fear alerting the enemy. If there really is a gunpowder storage, innocent people could be harmed. That's why I want Doctor Wei to open a pharmacy next door. Firstly, it allows for surveillance, and secondly, under the pretext of renovating the shop, we can dig a tunnel from the pharmacy to the trading company's warehouse basement to verify the claims."
Author's Note: In all my works, supporting female characters like Lu Ying are typically career-driven and mutually supportive with the female lead. Thus, the Parrot Couple is destined for a rocky path—Lu Romeo hasn't even noticed Ding Juliet's subtle schemes yet.
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