Summer trousers were thin, and the awakening Wang Xiaoxia made its presence distinctly known by forming an outline. At that moment, Wei Caiwei was looking down, her gaze fixed on the ground, and she happened to see Xiaoxia.
In her previous life, Eunuch Wang had taken the knife to himself, cutting everything clean away, and had never experienced such a situation.
Could it be that I’ve been thinking about it day and night, dreaming of stopping him from castrating himself, and ended up dreaming of… this? But this dream feels too real.
Well, in dreams, one can do as they please—otherwise, what’s the point of dreaming?
Wei Caiwei slowly shifted her right foot and stepped on Wang Xiaoxia. From the heel to the big toe, Xiaoxia was the same length as her foot.
"Ah!"
Wang Daxia rolled off the footrest onto the floor.
Wei Caiwei jolted awake—this wasn’t a dream!
Wang Daxia clutched Xiaoxia, on the verge of tears, and asked, "Why did you step on me?"
Wei Caiwei, as if waking from a dream, felt so awkward that she curled her toes inward, almost digging through the floorboards. "I… why were you holding my foot? And why are you sleeping in my bedroom? What kind of behavior is this?"
In a flash, Wei Caiwei turned the tables, leaving Wang Daxia speechless.
She then looked down at her white sleeping gown and pressed her advantage, "Also, did you change my clothes?"
Although I wouldn’t necessarily mind—in our past life, we’d been intimate countless times… but you’re only fourteen now!
"It wasn’t me!" Wang Daxia hurriedly defended himself. "Commander Lu had a female Embroidered Uniform Guard spy change your clothes. But I didn’t see her—Ding Wu called me downstairs to brew medicine for you. By the time I brought the medicine up, the spy had already changed your clothes and left. Only Commander Lu was here. If you don’t believe me, ask Commander Lu."
There was no female spy; it was Lu Ying who had changed her clothes personally, with Ding Wu covering for her by calling Wang Daxia away under the pretense of brewing medicine.
Wang Daxia felt deeply wronged. "I saved you from the lake, stayed here to protect you in case any White Lotus Sect remnants came for revenge, and you still accuse me."
"I—"
In the aftermath of the near-death experience, she realized that the memory of Wang Daxia bathed in blue light wasn’t a spirit coming to collect her soul—it was Wang Daxia himself.
He had come to save her.
Wei Caiwei was overwhelmed with emotions. Seeing his earlier scream and roll to the floor, it was clear he was fine—and that was all that mattered.
"I’m sorry," Wei Caiwei said.
Wang Daxia, noticing her disheveled hair, dry lips, and haggard appearance, quickly pointed to the bed. "The floor is cold, and you’re barefoot. Hurry and lie down. You’ve had a fever for a day and a night, unconscious the whole time. I have to say, you’re a doctor—just focus on treating illnesses and saving lives. You can’t swim, so what were you doing in the water? Why use a sledgehammer to crack a nut? There was no need for you to rescue anyone; you almost drowned!"
Having lived two lives, she understood everything Wang Daxia was saying. But in the heat of the moment, concern clouded her judgment. The thought of Wang Daxia in the Pool of Accumulated Water made her disregard her own safety—she wouldn’t let go of any chance to save him.
Wei Caiwei truly felt drained and obediently returned to bed. "I know, I was wrong. It won’t happen again."
Though, if there were a next time, she’d likely make the same choice. How could she ever give up on Wang Daxia? In her past life, he had taken a poisoned arrow for her, damaging his foundation. Despite her exceptional medical skills and all her efforts to treat and nurture him, he still passed away at forty-seven.
What is love in this world? It binds two hearts, life and death.Seeing Wei Caiwei surrender so quickly, Wang Daxia felt an inexplicable delight. Although she had rejected his confession, she had rushed into the lake to save him because she thought he was drowning.
This showed that he still held significant weight in her heart.
So... there might still be a chance for him in the future!
Wang Daxia suddenly felt a sense of honor in defeat and said, "You must be hungry. Ding Wu stewed some white fungus and lotus seed soup for you. It's warming on the stove. He said to bring it to you as soon as you woke up."
Wei Caiwei had caught a cold from nearly drowning and felt weak all over. Her mouth was tasteless, and she had no appetite for anything. But as a physician, she knew she needed to eat to recover. She replied, "Alright—where is Brother Ding?"
"He's in a meeting with Commander Lu and the others. The White Lotus Sect leader Zhao Quan has been wanted for a full day and night, but there's still no trace of him." Wang Daxia rushed downstairs to fetch the food for her.
Wang Daxia brought up a large bowl of soup in a tureen and said, "There's more in the pot."
Wei Caiwei asked, "You're also with the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Why aren't you discussing the capture of Zhao Quan with them?"
How could I focus on anything when you hadn't woken up? Wang Daxia replied, "Oh, Commander Lu ordered me to protect you."
Wang Daxia was lying, and Wei Caiwei pretended to believe him. She looked down at the large bowl of soup with worry—she had no appetite and couldn't finish it.
Seeing her hesitate to pick up the spoon, Wang Daxia asked, "Should I add some rock sugar for you? It'll be very sweet."
"No need. Too much rock sugar will make me nauseous," Wei Caiwei said. "There's too much here for me to finish. You haven't had breakfast either—bring another bowl, and I'll share half with you."
Wang Daxia went down to get a bowl and divided the soup between them. As they ate from the same pot of sweet soup, both felt sweetness spreading from their mouths to their hearts.
Unlike the sweet warmth of Sweetwater Lane, the capital was shrouded in continuous heavy rain, casting a cold and grim atmosphere. The explosion at the Red Sleeve Brothel the previous night had shocked the entire city, leading to a full lockdown. Wanted posters with the likeness of White Lotus Sect leader Zhao Quan were plastered all over the streets and alleys, offering a reward of ten thousand taels of silver and even a promotion to the rank of thousand-household official.
A dozen city gates were tightly guarded, with everyone entering or exiting required to show their Household Certificate and travel pass. Those without were denied passage. The capital was sealed tight as a drum, yet Zhao Quan remained at large.
No fugitive had ever received such "special treatment" as the sect leader.
In addition to securing the city gates, the inner city was combed through repeatedly like running a fine-toothed comb through hair. Members of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Five Cities Patrol Battalion were all mobilized, patrolling every corner in the rain. Any suspicious man resembling Zhao Quan was immediately arrested, and his family had to produce a Household Certificate and bring neighbors to vouch for him before he could be released.
Since the Jiajing Emperor ascended the throne, the capital had never been under such strict martial law.
Imperial Guard Office.
Commander Lu Bing had also fallen ill. The previous night, he had raced his Akhal-Teke horse against carrier pigeons through the storm and surprisingly outpaced them. After firing his gun to warn Lu Ying to retreat and avoid falling into a trap, Lu Bing could no longer hold on and fell from his horse.
Fortunately, the Akhal-Teke horse was relatively short, and the muddy road was soft, so the fall was minor and not fatal. However, Lu Bing's chronic stroke condition inevitably relapsed, leaving half his body paralyzed and his right arm completely immobile.
Lu Bing had always concealed his stroke, publicly claiming it was a fall that injured his arms and legs.
The Jiajing Emperor sent messengers three times a day to inquire about Lu Bing's condition, delivering various medicinal herbs that now filled an entire room.The Jiajing Emperor's concern was actually a burden for Lu Bing, because whenever the emperor's envoy arrived, Imperial Physician Song had to remove the silver needles from the acupuncture points on half of Lu Bing's body, then wrap his arms and legs in bandages to simulate muscle and bone injuries.
Once the envoy left, Imperial Physician Song would hurriedly remove the bandages and reinsert the needles.
Enduring this torment three times a day, Lu Bing gritted his teeth and bore it—such imperial favor was simply too heavy to carry.
In the Embroidered Uniform Guard Prison, after a day and night of intense interrogation, Lu Ying's team had made some progress. The entire branch led by Wu Dianyong, one of the Four Great Disciples and strategist, had been exposed. Besides the Myriad Goods Trading Company in the capital, hideouts in Tianjin, Jinan, and other places were also confessed. Lu Ying dispatched teams to capture sect members in other regions, uprooting them completely.
However, there were regrets.
Sect Leader Zhao Quan remained elusive. Dian and all his followers at the Red Sleeve Brothel had perished in the Pool of Accumulated Water, but the Four Great Disciples operated independently. Wu Dianyong could only disclose his own branch—the other three remained active. With Dian dead, a second **Dian would inevitably emerge, lurking in every corner of the Ming Dynasty, waiting to strike again.
As the highest-ranking captured Branch Leader, Wu Dianyong was isolated in a solitary cell. After regaining consciousness, he was subjected to relentless interrogation by the Embroidered Uniform Guard.
After talking all day, Wu Dianyong's voice grew hoarse. "...I beg you, let me rest. I've confessed everything—I’ve held nothing back. If I keep talking, it’ll be meaningless. I can’t possibly confess to wetting the bed at age ten, can I?"
A guard handed him a cup of water steeped with sterculia seeds. "Drink this. We’ll resume in the time it takes an incense stick to burn."
The guard delivered Wu Dianyong’s confession to Lu Ying, who skimmed through it and remarked, "There’s truly little more to extract from Wu Dianyong. We need another approach. Finding Sect Leader Zhao Quan is secondary now—the real threat is the over nine hundred firearms missing from Wang Gong Factory. The emperor has issued a secret decree ordering the Embroidered Uniform Guard to investigate thoroughly and recover the weapons. Currently, only Zhao Quan and Iron Bull, who commands the White Lotus Sect’s Death Warriors, likely know the firearms’ whereabouts. But we don’t even know who Iron Bull is."
It was like eradicating cockroaches: finding one nest meant countless others hidden nearby. Destroying one was just the beginning.
Ding Wu also reviewed the confession, observing Lu Ying’s expression as he tentatively suggested, "Wu Dianyong still has value. I have a plan to utilize him fully—to locate Sect Leader Zhao Quan, uncover the firearms, and eradicate the White Lotus Sect root and branch."
Lu Ying asked, "What plan?" How miraculous!
Ding Wu sat opposite Lu Ying, sketched a few strokes on paper, and outlined his scheme.
As he spoke, Lu Ying’s expression darkened. Several times, she nearly interrupted him but restrained herself out of courtesy and respect.
Once Ding Wu finished, Lu Ying immediately rejected the idea. "No, I cannot agree. It’s too dangerous. The Embroidered Uniform Guard are not ruthless demons—how could we let you sacrifice so much? Not only would you suffer physical harm, but your reputation would be ruined, and you’d be scorned by all."Ding Wu spoke at a measured pace, calm yet resolute, "In truth, this plan took shape the moment Wang Daxia rescued Sister Banxia from the water. The White Lotus Sect has committed countless atrocities, acting with utter madness. Its leader, Zhao Quan, exploits his followers' devotion to satisfy his own desires, driving them to sacrifice their lives and fortunes, while innocent people suffer. Banxia nearly died because of this. A decade ago, the Gengxu Rebellion brought calamity upon countless residents in the outskirts of the capital. Chen Jingji came from a respectable family—he could have pursued a career through the imperial examinations. But after his parents died, his family's property was looted and burned. His grandmother took refuge with him in Machang Hutong, forcing him to abandon his scholarly ambitions and return to his old trade as an agent. Through frugality and hard work, he finally saw a glimmer of hope, only to fall victim to violence, losing his manhood, giving up his beloved, and entering the palace as a eunuch."
"Chen Jingji is just one example among many whose lives were irrevocably altered by the Gengxu Rebellion. Sister Banxia also became separated from her family during the turmoil and nearly perished by the roadside."
Ding Wu's gaze was unwavering. "The White Lotus Sect, which instigated this rebellion and guided foreign troops, is unforgivable. My father... also bears responsibility for his failures in command. As a descendant of the Ding family, I enjoyed privilege and luxury in my youth, and it is only right that I shoulder the burden of my father's mistakes."
"I know I am taking a risk, but there is no other way now. Doesn’t Commander Lu often say that if you oppose a plan, you must propose an alternative? If Commander Lu rejects my strategy, does he have a better one in mind? If I can recover the nine hundred firearms, eradicate the White Lotus Sect, and atone for my father’s errors, what does it matter if I endure physical suffering or public disgrace? I don’t care. This is entirely my own choice."
Half an hour later, Wu Dianyong, now deemed useless, was dragged from his comfortable solitary cell and thrown into a filthy, overcrowded one housing at least two inmates.
In despair, Wu Dianyong beat against the iron bars. "Hey! You can’t just discard me like this after getting what you wanted! That’s not how allies should treat each other!"
But no one paid him any attention.
Soon after, a man covered in wounds was tossed into the cell by the guards like a piece of ragged cloth.
Wu Dianyong crawled closer for a better look and was stunned to see it was Ding Wu.
Author's Note: To learn how Ding Wu’s ingenious plan unfolds, stay tuned for the next chapter.
According to Jinjiang’s rules, each book can hold one lottery per month. So, in August, I’ll host another lottery, sharing 16,000 Jinjiang coins among 800 readers with a 100% subscription rate for this book.
Originally, I planned to include 2,000 people, but Jinjiang’s lottery center recently updated its policy: the number of winners cannot exceed 1,000 and must be within 5% of the book’s total collections. Since I couldn’t set it to the initial number, I adjusted it as you see now. However, I’ll hold another lottery next month. By then, 5% of the collections should reach the maximum limit of 1,000, and I’ll set it to 1,000 winners sharing the lottery center’s cap of 50,000 Jinjiang coins.
The lottery will be drawn on August 18th at 18:00 (6 PM)!
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