Throughout, Ding Wu had always been a reliable elder brother figure, a constant warmth in her heart. Even though Wei Caiwei had been reborn and her mental age was old enough to be Ding Wu's mother, she still regarded him as an elder brother and respected him as she had in her previous life.
In his previous life, Ding Wu never married. After Ding Rukui was released from prison, granted an official position, and had his family property restored, Ding Wu regained his status as a student of the Imperial College, yet he neither married nor pursued the imperial examinations.
His life was marked by hardship in the first half, while the latter half was like a wandering cloud and wild crane, immersing himself in landscapes, traveling extensively, even venturing overseas to the Western Oceans, following merchant caravans along the Western Regions, traversing grasslands and deserts.
His later years were spent making up for the regret of being trapped in Tieling and deprived of freedom in his youth. He traveled far and wide, leaving his footprints everywhere.
Like someone who had been starved for too long, his only wish in the latter half of his life was to fill his belly, with no other desires.
Ding Wu cherished his freedom and was unwilling to be burdened by family ties. He also did not want to condemn some good woman to a lifetime of solitude, so he simply never married.
Thus, when Wei Caiwei chose to form a Eunuch and Maid Pairing with Eunuch Wang, Ding Wu had no objections at all.
He often told her, "As long as you're happy, Sister Banxia, pay no mind to others' gossip."
But in this life, it seemed Ding Wu had taken a liking to Lu Ying?
In her previous life, Lu Ying became a widow shortly after marrying and eventually chose to renounce the world for a life of ascetic practice.
However, based on Wei Caiwei's current understanding of Lu Ying, her decision to become a nun was likely just a pretext to escape her husband's family and gain freedom. Lu Ying would never sit still copying scriptures—she probably ended up wandering the martial world with her beloved sword.
Thinking about it this way, Lu Ying and Ding Wu's endings in their previous lives were actually different paths leading to the same destination.
Wei Caiwei woke in the middle of the night, stirred by the aroma of walnut cakes, and saw Ding Wu yawning as he fanned the freshly baked pastries, trying to cool them quickly so he could pack them up for Lu Ying.
Since she was too full of questions to fall back asleep anyway, she threw on her clothes and went downstairs to ask Ding Wu.
"Sorry for waking you," Ding Wu apologized.
Wei Caiwei helped him fan the pastries. "Are these for Commander Lu again?"
Ding Wu remained unruffled. "Yes, to thank her for saving me."
Wei Caiwei: "Wang Daxia saved you too."
Ding Wu still held his composure. "Wang Daxia comes over to mooch meals almost every day. I always make an extra portion for him."
Ding Wu still carried the reserved elegance of a nobleman's son, but Wei Caiwei was straightforward by nature. Knowing she couldn't outmaneuver his convoluted reasoning, she cut straight to the point: "Brother Ding, do you have feelings for Commander Lu?"
Ding Wu stood up and scooped water from the vat to wash his face. "Don't talk nonsense. Our statuses are worlds apart."
Indeed, Ding Wu and Lu Ying had always been separated by a vast social gap. It was true now, and it would remain so in the future. After Lu Bing died and the Jiajing Emperor passed away, the Lu family was imprisoned and their property confiscated. By then, Ding Wu would have regained his status as a nobleman's son, while Lu Ying, if she never married, would become a prisoner.
Their statuses would never be equal. Fortunes change—sometimes you're up, sometimes you're down.
Wei Caiwei said, "Let's set status aside and just listen to your heart. How do you see Commander Lu?"
Ding Wu gazed at his reflection gradually calming in the brass basin. "I admire her courage to step out of the inner chambers and join the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and her unwavering determination. If I hadn't discovered she was a woman that night underwater, I might have remained in the dark forever.""Sometimes I think, if my father had possessed Lu Ying's fearless courage when the enemy troops were at the city walls, if he had rejected Grand Secretary Yan's advice to defend the gates to the death and led the Ming army in a desperate fight instead, perhaps many tragedies—including yours and that of Chen Jingji who entered the palace—would never have happened."
Ding Wu had always been a kind and gentle soul, never blaming heaven or earth. He could even step beyond the natural perspective of a son to reflect on the mistakes his father might have made.
After all, Ding Rukui was the Minister of War and commander-in-chief of all imperial forces. Yet he had given up resistance without even attempting it.
Even Lu Bing was better than Ding Rukui. Back then, Lu Bing had defied the order to defend the gates to the death, pleading with the Jiajing Emperor to open the city gates and let refugees in. At least Lu Bing had made a final effort in the face of the worst possible outcome.
Wei Caiwei said, "No matter what, it wasn't your fault."
Ding Wu shook his head. "I've always longed to do something to atone for my father's mistakes. Lu Ying gave me that opportunity—she didn't look down on me for being a frail scholar but boldly employed me. Compared to such recognition, staying up late to make some pastries is truly insignificant, not worth mentioning."
Wei Caiwei was half-convinced. "Is that all?"
Ding Wu: "Of course."
The walnut cookies had cooled. Ding Wu deftly wrapped them up, naturally remembering to set aside two for Wei Caiwei. "For your breakfast tomorrow—I have to leave very early and won't be able to make you breakfast."
Wei Caiwei couldn't decipher Ding Wu's true feelings; truth be told, neither could he himself.
The "kiss" underwater wasn't really a romantic kiss between a man and a woman, as it had nothing to do with love. Ding Wu felt that Lu Ying's gaze was resolute, her courage infectious. He had thought his life would remain unchanged forever, but Lu Ying seemed to carry a light that pierced through his gloomy existence, making him instinctively reach out to grasp this radiance.
However, upon hearing the news of the Lu and Wu families discussing a marriage alliance, Ding Wu feared that once Lu Ying married, her husband's family would likely forbid her from continuing to disguise herself as a man and serve in the Embroidered Uniform Guard. If this light were to be extinguished, he would be plunged back into endless darkness.
Ding Wu knew his status was too humble to change anything, but he couldn't repeat his father's mistake—failing to attempt or resist when the enemy was at the gates. He strove to showcase his abilities before Lu Ying, hoping to keep this light shining a little longer.
Just a little longer.
That was all.
The next day, when Wei Caiwei woke up, Ding Wu had indeed left early for Toutiao Alley to attend to his work.
The sound of hoofbeats and whistling came from the lane below.
It was Wang Daxia, on his way to the Imperial Guard Office. He deliberately took this detour every day, passing by here and whistling as he went. If Wei Caiwei had already risen and was dressing, she would open the window, smiling and waving in response.
Hearing the commotion, Wei Caiwei opened the window and said, "Wait a moment, I have something for you."
She went downstairs and handed Wang Daxia the walnut cookies Ding Wu had baked overnight. "For Commander Lu."
Then she gave him one of the cookies Ding Wu had left for her. "This is your delivery fee."
Wang Daxia refused to take it. "One cookie won't be enough for your breakfast—you need two to be full."
Well now, this level of consideration made Wei Caiwei view him in a new light. After all, for someone as food-obsessed as Wang Daxia to give up food that was right before him was quite remarkable!
My husband is finally growing up.
Wei Caiwei watched as Wang Daxia rode away.Wang Daxia rode out of Sweetwater Lane and turned onto Drum Tower West Diagonal Street, then slowed his horse to open the package—he couldn’t bear to eat Wei Caiwei’s breakfast, but he wouldn’t hesitate at all to sneak a taste of Commander Lu’s pastries!
Wei Caiwei had overestimated his self-control.
Wang Daxia unfolded the cloth wrapper to reveal a familiar oil-paper package, on which was a note with four words: "No stealing snacks."
It was written by Ding Wu, who had predicted with uncanny accuracy that Wang Daxia, having no respect for his superiors, would try to filch Lu Ying’s walnut cookies.
However, this did little to deter the thick-skinned Young Master Wang from his "crime."
"I’m the one delivering these—Commander Lu won’t know how many were originally inside. If I sneak a couple, she’d never notice. Besides, Ding Wu wouldn’t bother asking Lu Ying how many cookies she received over such a trivial matter!"
So Wang Daxia untied the red string and opened the oil-paper wrapping, only to find another layer of oil paper inside, bearing eight characters: "One package of walnut cookies, total of eight pieces."
Ding Wu’s handwriting was an elegant slender gold script, which Wang Daxia could never imitate. Moreover, the paper was stamped with Ding Wu’s ever-present small seal, carved with the character "Wu."
As the saying goes, for every foot the law ascends, the devil rises ten. Ding Wu knew Wang Daxia’s character all too well—aware that the first note wouldn’t curb his gluttony, he had prepared a second line of defense.
Everything was to ensure his sentiments reached Lu Ying intact, without being diminished by Wang Daxia.
Not even one piece.
With a stony face, Wang Daxia delivered the cookies to Lu Ying like an emotionless courier.
Lu Ying assigned the day’s task: "Retrieve all the portraits of White Lotus Sect members collected by the Embroidered Uniform Guard over the years. Have the artists make copies of every one, and bring them to the undercover agents at Headline Alley tonight."
The Embroidered Uniform Guard’s artists were renowned—even the imperial court painters drew their salaries under the guard’s roster. Thus, copying all the known faces of the White Lotus Sect in a single day was no challenge.
Wang Daxia went off to handle the assignment.
Lu Ying opened the oil-paper package, set aside half for her father, and sent someone to deliver it to Lu Bing.
Normally, Lu Ying would have delivered it personally, but ever since Lu Bing had scolded her in a fit of rage after taking elixirs, she had been avoiding face-to-face meetings, leaving their father-daughter relationship strained.
Seeing the snacks sent by his daughter, Lu Bing sighed and shook his head repeatedly. "This girl’s temper is too much like mine. After all, she’s a woman—what will become of her if I’m gone someday?"
Meanwhile, another father was also worrying about his children—part of the "League of Anxious Fathers"—none other than Wang Commander.
Wang Commander had received the two thousand taels of silver returned by Duo Si—money from his late wife’s dowry fields. It was only right to give it to Wang Daxia to repurchase the dowry land in Sanlitun.
Wang Commander was a principled man; even though the Wang household was living frugally, he wouldn’t use his wife’s dowry to fill the family’s financial gaps.
However, he feared that if he handed the silver to Wang Daxia, the latter would squander it recklessly. So Wang Commander kept the money and went to Sanlitun outside Chaoyang Gate, hoping to find the original buyer and redeem his late wife’s dowry fields.
Upon arrival, Wang Commander nearly thought he had misremembered the location. The once-fertile fields were now enclosed by walls or fences, with houses, ancestral halls, and other structures built upon them. To the northwest stood several large, mound-like graves, still bare of grass, surrounded by aged green pines.It turned out that the dowry land had been converted into a cemetery with accompanying sacrificial fields. Properties such as sacrificial fields and sacrificial houses were generally exempt from confiscation unless the family was convicted of heinous crimes, thus avoiding seizure by the state.
For this reason, wealthy families with foresight often established sacrificial fields and houses as a precautionary measure. These assets could serve as a fallback for future generations, providing shelter and preventing total ruin in times of crisis.
Wang Commander immediately realized that reclaiming this land was impossible—it had been converted into sacrificial fields, and graves had already been relocated there. How could it be returned to him?
Alas, this prodigal son had made an irreversible mistake.
Although the land was beyond recovery, Wang Commander was determined to uncover who had purchased his former wife’s dowry land. He approached the cemetery to examine the tombstones, which read: "Tomb of Madam Wu, Granted First-Rank Lady by Imperial Decree," "Tomb of Madam Huang, Granted First-Rank Lady by Imperial Decree," "Tomb of Madam Zhang, Granted First-Rank Lady by Imperial Decree," and "Tomb of Deceased Wife Zhao Shi."
Three first-rank ladies by imperial decree—which prominent noble family in the capital could this be?
As he pondered, the voice of the cemetery keeper echoed behind him, "This is the family burial ground of Lord Lu, the Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Unauthorized personnel, leave at once!"
Author's Note: Many readers had already guessed that the buyer was Lu Bing and that the burial house Li Jiubao’s father and brother built in Sanlitun was for Lu Bing’s family. Congratulations to those who figured it out! You’re very observant.
Lu Bing’s tomb is indeed located in Beijing’s Sanlitun. Over five hundred years later, the area became a hub of bars, where revelers dance on Lu Bing’s grave every night. He must never be lonely.
This is verified by the epitaph written for Lu Bing by Grand Secretariat minister and in-law Xu Jie, recorded in Shijintang Collection · Epitaph of Lord Lu of Donghu: "During his lifetime, the Lord selected a burial site at Sanlitun outside Chaoyang Gate. His relatives and old friends thus conspired and said: The Lord’s wish must not be disobeyed."
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