Wu Dianyong was startled, "How did you get in here?"
Ding Wu wanted to say something, but when he opened his mouth, only a froth of blood came out before he fainted.
Looking at Ding Wu's injuries, Wu Dianyong was shocked! From his buttocks down to his thighs, there wasn't a single patch of unbroken skin left!
His buttocks were completely mangled, his thighs swollen to an enormous size—it looked like he had received at least a hundred strikes.
What crime had Ding Wu committed to be beaten like this? Didn't his sworn younger sister have Wang Daxia and Commander Lu as backers?
How had the Myriad Goods Trading Company been discovered and raided by the Embroidered Uniform Guard? Wu Dianyong had been pondering this question all along. He had suspected his own subordinates and also the sudden arrival of his neighbor Ding Wu. After all, Ding Wu had connections with Lu Ying and Wang Daxia of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and the incident had occurred just when the sect leader was about to leave.
But seeing Ding Wu in such a miserable state, Wu Dianyong's suspicion fell back on his subordinates. Those accustomed to betrayal always assume others are traitors too.
Wu Dianyong had always kept himself separate from his subordinates in the shop, so he had no idea what was happening outside. He only knew that the Embroidered Uniform Guard hadn't captured Sect Leader Zhao Quan yet—otherwise, they wouldn't keep interrogating him. Seeing that he couldn't provide any useful information, they discarded him like worthless trash.
Like the sect leader, Wu Dianyong was extremely selfish. Now that he had lost his usefulness and had no way out, he didn't care who had betrayed the White Lotus Sect, nor did he care how Ding Wu had ended up in this state.
He only wanted to know how to save his own life next... Should he reveal his last remaining secrets?
Or save them for a critical moment?
Huddled in the corner, Wu Dianyong contemplated how to survive, while Ding Wu lay motionless on a torn mat on the bed...
About half an hour later, a jailer came to deliver meals. In the previous cell, there had been meat, vegetables, and white rice. In this cell, each person only got a bowl of porridge, a coarse pancake that scratched the throat, and a dish of pickled radish greens.
Wu Dianyong didn't dare complain and obediently took his meal, squatting in the corner to eat. The jailer poked Ding Wu's swollen buttocks with a stick, "Time to eat!"
"Ah!"
Ding Wu was jolted awake by the pain. He couldn't stand up at all and was completely helpless, so he had to lie on the mat and beg Wu Dianyong, "Could you please bring my meal over, Shopkeeper Wu? I can't move right now."
Unsure what crime Ding Wu had committed, Wu Dianyong didn't want to get involved and ignored him.
Ding Wu said, "I only want the bowl of porridge. You can have the pancake and pickles."
Only then did Wu Dianyong fetch the meal for him.
After drinking half the bowl of porridge, Ding Wu finally regained some strength and sighed, "I was just minding my own business at home when disaster struck out of nowhere. Someone falsely accused me of being a member of the White Lotus Sect. I was dragged here and brutally beaten, forced to reveal where the sect leader is. How would I know anything about the sect leader? I just wanted to make some money trading medicinal herbs."
Wu Dianyong didn't believe him, "Don't you have Young Master Wang as your backer? Didn't your sworn younger sister come to plead for you?"
"She did," Ding Wu said. "Otherwise, I would have been beaten to death. In the interrogation room, my injuries are considered mild—just beatings. I saw several of your shop assistants there. All ten of their fingernails had been pulled out, and some had candle wax dripped into their eyes."
Hearing this, Wu Dianyong gasped: Thank goodness I surrendered early! Otherwise, I would have suffered terribly!However, upon hearing from Ding Wu that his sister's pleas for mercy were quite effective, Wu Dianyong saw Ding Wu as someone he could exploit and immediately changed his attitude. He returned Ding Wu's meal to him, broke the coarse pancake into small pieces, soaked them in the remaining half-bowl of porridge to soften them, and added some pickles to make it easier to swallow.
"Eat," Wu Dianyong said, feeding Ding Wu with a wooden spoon.
"Thank you," Ding Wu replied while eating, then complained, "The White Lotus Sect? What a joke! How could I possibly join the White Lotus Sect? Back then, my father, as the Minister of War, was on the verge of becoming a Grand Secretary. But because the White Lotus Sect guided Anda Khan's army, allowing them to march straight into the capital, my father was ordered to defend the city without engaging in battle, which ultimately led to the destruction of our family. I despise the White Lotus Sect—how could I ever join them?"
After a few bites, Ding Wu asked, "Manager Wu, were you also falsely implicated? You look clean and unharmed, so you probably won’t be held here for long."
"My situation... is rather special," Wu Dianyong lied without hesitation. "To be honest, I was once deceived by the White Lotus Sect and joined them for a while. But later, I realized they were only exploiting their followers for wealth, with no intention of saving humanity or alleviating suffering. So I came to my senses, turned over a new leaf, and cooperated with the Embroidered Uniform Guard to lure the sect leader here. We planned to capture them all, but something went wrong, and the sect leader escaped."
Ding Wu asked, "If your merits offset your faults, why are you still imprisoned here?"
Wu Dianyong sighed. "Since the sect leader wasn’t caught, the Embroidered Uniform Guard, though they haven’t tortured me, doubt my sincerity. Alas, I’m now caught between a rock and a hard place."
Ding Wu sighed in sympathy. "We’re both victims of circumstance. The Embroidered Uniform Guard claims that because I’m on good terms with your Myriad Goods Trading Company and even chose to open my pharmacy next to yours, I must have joined the White Lotus Sect. Two of their agents, disguised as merchants, falsely accused your company of using counterfeit silver notes at the Shuntian Prefecture Yamen. Their goal was to find an excuse to seal your assets, search your shops and warehouses, and delay the sect leader. But I had no idea! I foolishly pleaded on your behalf with Commander Wu and even brought Young Master Wang over to support you. Little did I know it was all a setup by Young Master Wang. To avoid alerting the enemy, he pretended to agree, but it was just a stalling tactic."
At this thought, Ding Wu pounded the worn-out mat in frustration. "Because I pleaded for you, even Wang Daxia now suspects me. I’ve explained countless times that I hate the White Lotus Sect, but he insists that all its members harbor resentment toward the court, believing the government is unjust. He says it was the court that caused my mother’s death during exile, sentenced my father to death, and reduced me from a noble son to a destitute exile. So, he claims, I secretly joined the White Lotus Sect to seek revenge against the court."
"Truly, if you want to condemn someone, you’ll never lack a pretext. How dare I resent the court? All I want is to survive, stay in the capital, and avoid returning to the harsh exile in Tieling. Of course, if I could get rich, that would be even better. To run my pharmacy successfully, I naturally need to maintain good relations with my neighbors so we can support each other. Is it wrong to want to earn more money, thrive in business, and live a better life? If Wang Daxia were in business, wouldn’t he also need to build good relationships with neighboring shops?"
"Unexpectedly, that remark angered him. He said he comes from a military family and would never stoop to such merchant affairs.""My injuries were all inflicted by him. If it weren't for my sworn sister pleading desperately, I might have been beaten to death."
At the mention of Wang Daxia's name, Wu Dianyong was instantly transported back to the rainy night in the carriage, dominated by the terror of silver needles. His mind had nearly been turned to mush by Wang Daxia's coercive interrogation with those needles, and he immediately felt a headache coming on!
That mad dog Wang Daxia! This was exactly the kind of thing he was capable of!
When those three prefectural students merely made flirtatious remarks toward his lover Doctor Wei, he stripped them naked and paraded them through the streets. Such torturous "genius" methods could only come from his mind.
"Let's not talk about him anymore," Wu Dianyong said, pale-faced and clutching his head. "He's not human—he's a devil."
Ding Wu nodded. "Exactly. This man is unpredictable, spoiled and willful, with vicious methods. My sworn sister follows him without any official status, and who knows what will become of her? So I often advise her: how long can one rely on looks to please a man? The sensible thing is to take advantage of her time with him to secure money and benefits, not waste her youth. With enough money, she can marry some honest man later and live a stable, comfortable life."
Ding Wu's practical, shameless focus on profit and his open admission of living off his sworn sister's earnings made Wu Dianyong see him as a kindred spirit. He also saw hope in Ding Wu and said, "That day on the decorated pleasure boat at the Pool of Accumulated Water... the two of them were very intimate, whispering sweet nothings behind a screen. Wang—that devil—is utterly captivated by your sworn sister and listens to everything she says. To clear your name and get out of here, you'll have to rely on her relationship with him. For now, don't antagonize the devil, or you'll only suffer more."
Wu Dianyong continued feeding Ding Wu coarse pancake soaked in thin porridge with pickles. "When you're released, Boss Ding, don't forget about me. I'm also wronged—more wronged than Dou E!"
"I know, a wise man doesn't fight when the odds are against him," Ding Wu said, struggling to swallow the food. "We've shared the hardship of prison—we should share prosperity too. I admire you, Shopkeeper Wu. When we both get out, I'll open a medicine shop, and you can be my manager. We'll make money together."
Wu Dianyong eagerly agreed, thinking to himself: I've secretly saved enough private funds over the years to open a hundred medicine shops. Why would I need to be your lousy manager? I just want to use you to escape.
The night passed with Ding Wu frequently waking in pain, groaning on his ragged mat, sometimes calling for his mother, sometimes his father, unable to turn over, a truly pitiful sight.
Wu Dianyong picked some cotton from his tattered quilt to plug his ears and fell into a deep sleep. Nothing was more important than his own health—he was already eating poorly, and lack of sleep would be the death of him.
The next day, the jailer brought breakfast—only two bowls of watery porridge, made from who-knows-how-old grain, reeking of mildew.
Wu Dianyong took both portions. "Eat up, brother. It's better than starving."
After drinking the porridge, they felt even hungrier, their stomachs growling in rebellion.
Then a tantalizing aroma of meat wafted in, like steamed buns.
It turned out Wei Caiwei had come to visit, bringing prison food for her sworn brother.
Wei Caiwei handed a note to the jailer. "This is specially approved by Commander Lu, allowing me to enter and treat my sworn brother's injuries."
Wu Dianyong thought: Tsk, this widow is something else, playing both sides.The jailer, distrustful of Wu Dianyong, first opened the door, shackled Wu Dianyong’s feet, and chained him to a corner of the cell, forbidding him from approaching anyone else, before allowing Wei Caiwei to enter.
Wei Caiwei set down the food box and brought out a basket of meat buns and a jar of milk.
Ding Wu hadn’t forgotten Wu Dianyong. "Give him half."
Wei Caiwei hesitated. "But... he’s a member of the White Lotus Sect. You were wrongly accused and imprisoned because of their false accusations. Now, with suspicions already hanging over you, shouldn’t you avoid any further association? How can you offer him food? Wang Daxia will suspect you again."
Ding Wu didn’t dare talk back to Wang Daxia, but when it came to his sworn sister, he knew exactly how to manipulate her. "You used to be so obedient—whatever I said, you did. Now that you’ve climbed to a higher branch, my words no longer matter?"
Wei Caiwei had no choice but to divide the milk and buns in half and hand them to Wu Dianyong.
Wu Dianyong thanked her and ate as politely as he could.
While Ding Wu ate his breakfast, Wei Caiwei used scissors to cut open his clothes, disregarding propriety between men and women, and applied medicine to his wounds from the waist down to above the knees.
"Gently!" Ding Wu pounded the bed in pain.
Wei Caiwei said, "Your injuries are superficial—they haven’t reached the bones or tendons. They look severe, but they’re not that serious. Wang Daxia showed restraint. With someone testifying against you, and you having pleaded for the White Lotus Sect leader, nearly ruining the Embroidered Uniform Guard’s plans, if he hadn’t punished you, how could he justify himself to his superiors? I heard the Emperor is personally overseeing this case. He had no choice."
Ding Wu replied sarcastically, "Oh, then I should thank him properly. But to thank him, I’d need to get out first. If you please him well enough, he’ll surely agree."
Wei Caiwei fell silent for a moment before saying, "He said he’d find a way to force the person who falsely accused you to recant, to clear your name."
Ding Wu asked, "How long will that take? He should do it now. Once he’s beaten into submission, the testimony will change, and I can be released."
Wei Caiwei replied, "But... Commander Lu and Lord Lu both suspect you. I’m afraid this matter won’t be resolved so quickly."
Hearing this, Ding Wu quickly said, "Then go and serve Commander Lu. He’s never gotten over you."
Wei Caiwei’s fingers paused as she applied the medicine. "I’m not a prostitute. Allowing me in to tend to your wounds is already Commander Lu showing consideration for our past ties. I can’t ask for too much."
Ding Wu said coldly, "Don’t forget, if I hadn’t saved you, you would have died sick and alone like a stray dog on the street. It was I who had the servants take you in and teach you medicine. Without me, you’d be nothing. Now, I’m in this hellhole, dying of pain. Can’t you play the prostitute just once to save me?"
Wei Caiwei could no longer hold back. She wiped the medicine from her hands with a handkerchief. "I brought you from the bitter cold of Tieling to the capital. Did you, an exile, establish yourself in Beijing on your own? You eat my food, wear my clothes, live in my house, lean on my men for support, and even the capital for your medicine shop came from me. And yet you call me a prostitute?"
"There are plenty of prostitutes in the capital—younger, prettier, and more talented than me. Are Commander Lu and Wang Daxia blind, choosing me over them? Do they prefer me because I’m older? Because I’m a widow? How could you even suggest such a thing?"
"Apply the medicine yourself. Reflect on your actions in this cell. I’m no longer the humble and lowly person you could manipulate at will. Don’t treat me like a dog anymore—I am a person."
Wei Caiwei turned and left in anger.Author's Note: Answering the most frequently asked question: Wei Caiwei's feet are set to wear size 36 shoes. In the comments section of the previous chapter, a brilliant reader mentioned that the length of a person's foot is equal to the length of their forearm—specifically, the distance from the wrist to the elbow. I tested this with my own size 40 feet and forearm—it fit perfectly, exactly the same length!
Strange knowledge keeps increasing, doesn't it? So, readers who wear size 36 shoes can now roughly imagine how tall Xiao Xia stands when he perks up.
OpenNovel