There's no fear of fools not understanding, only of wise men pretending to be fools. Both the Empress Dowager and the Empress were considerate souls; seeing there was no hope, they said nothing more.
Whether in the palace or the Changchun Garden, once a banquet began, it wouldn't conclude before 10 p.m. Everyone strained to keep up appearances, and when it was finally winding down, even the Emperor Emeritus grew weary. He dismissed them, saying, "All of you may retire now. Go rest well and don't neglect tomorrow's duties." With age, he still cared for state affairs, but his words had lost their edge—seemingly more detached, more concerned with the descendants before him.
The assembly received his decree and withdrew, some kowtowing, others bowing, all in orderly fashion. They exited the garden the same way they had entered. Eunuchs leading the way carried wind-proof lanterns to light the path. The garden had many waterways and embankments, and with the lords somewhat inebriated, it would be disastrous if anyone stumbled into a canal in the dark.
When they reached the Hall of Nine Classics and Three Affairs, everyone couldn't help but laugh. The Eleventh Prince stood there with his Secondary Wife, observing decorum, his head drooping like a wilted cucumber.
The Third Prince chuckled. "Not to criticize you, but you really picked the wrong day. Everyone was here today, and His Majesty waited a full hour for you." He shook his head. "You shouldn't keep birds—you should apprentice as a jade carver. With a water container in one hand and a file in the other, a single groove on a petal would keep you occupied for half a day. Your patience has reached such heights, it's a shame you don't open a jade workshop."
While the others were sated with food and wine, the Eleventh Prince was still starving! He didn't argue but simply asked Shaoyao Hua'er, "Any pastries? Bring some to tide me over. I've been starving for ages—even prisoners get fed!"
Hongce glanced at him but said nothing, leaving the grand palace gate with Guan Zhaojing.
Once in the carriage, they relaxed, leaning against the carriage enclosure. As the lead horse set off, the midnight streets of the capital were nothing like the bustling daytime. The cobblestone road stretched ahead, glowing faintly blue under the bright moon. The wine had gone to their heads, and in one corner of the carriage, an incense burner with Gypsophila held a smoldering incense cone, its smoke wafting straight to their temples. Raising the bamboo blind to let in the cool air helped clear their minds.
The moonlight was so bright that everything within several yards was visible. At this hour, aside from night watchmen, no one should have been out. Yet, in a blink, they spotted two figures leading a dog emerging from an alley, their silhouettes flickering under the moon before vanishing again.
From Dengshikou Street straight ahead, a turn led to Tongfu Lane. This lane was once named after a general who lived there, but after his family's decline, the area became residential. In the imperial city, where space was scarce, even a small courtyard home was considered decent. Those without means or of lower status lived in communal courtyards—like the one where Dingyi stayed with her master and the others.
The creak of the courtyard gate announced the arrival of the two figures and their dog, who slipped through the gap and headed straight for the west room.
Late as it was, Dingyi and her companions were still awake. For days, they'd been pooling funds for a pilgrimage gathering to offer thanks at the temple. The temple's rituals couldn't be attended empty-handed; donations of money, clothing, and supplies were expected. Half the residents here worked for the yamen, dealing daily with murder and arson, making them particularly devout. Led by Uncle Wu, everyone chipped in for the pilgrimage to Miaofeng Mountain in a couple of days.Everyone was gathered together pooling money. Xiazhi, being a monkey holding a lamp, couldn’t contribute much and was just there to make up the numbers. Unable to settle down, he fanned himself vigorously in the heat, shaking his head and looking around restlessly. When he glanced out the window, he was instantly spellbound and quietly slipped out, crouching low. Dingyi sat beside their master, helping to count the money. She caught Xiazhi’s little antics out of the corner of her eye but didn’t pay much attention. After a while, he came back in, sidled up to her, tugged her sleeve, and whispered, “Something fun’s happening. Wanna go see?”
“What’s so fun? We’re busy right now!” The money had to be wrapped in red silk bundles, each labeled with a name to avoid confusion. If they got mixed up, even the Buddha wouldn’t know whose merit it was.
Xiazhi said evasively, “You’ll regret it if you don’t see this. Ever heard of ‘cap removal’? I’ll take you to watch.”
Dingyi was torn—she wanted to go but couldn’t just drop everything. She glanced at their master, who was magnanimous enough to lower his eyelids and say, “Go on, but don’t cause trouble.” The two quickly acknowledged and slipped out along the wall.
Cap removal wasn’t about taking a hat off one’s head in the usual sense—it was jargon among badger hunters. To earn a living, common folks would try anything, exploiting everything that flew in the sky or ran on the ground. Hunting badgers was a trade, but humans alone couldn’t manage it; two legs couldn’t outrun four. They needed dogs as helpers. Good dogs were always in demand, so during the day, they’d scout around, eyeing dogs kept by others, and steal them at night. After stealing, they didn’t put the dogs to work immediately—they had to be conditioned first. To prevent the ears from flapping and making noise while running, the drooping upper halves were cut off to make them stand upright. The tails, wagging like whips, had to have the crooked parts chopped off. Only then would the dog be considered a proper badger dog. This process of trimming ears and tails was called “cap removal.”
The two moistened their fingers with spit and poked a hole in the window paper to peek inside. The oil lamp in the room was dim, but they could see one person holding the dog’s muzzle while another took a knife and sliced. After cutting, they cauterized the wounds with a red-hot iron. The dog writhed in pain, unable to bark, only gasping heavily.
Dingyi covered her own ears. “Ouch, that must hurt so much. These two are downright wicked.”
Xiazhi said, “It’s not like they do this every day. Once healed, the dog can work for years! Poor folks have no choice—they’ve got to find a way to eat. Not like the Imperial Clan, who get their monthly allowance from the Imperial Clan Court. They could lie around and never go hungry.”
Dingyi scratched her head. “Are there really that many badgers to hunt?”"Exactly, badger dens are everywhere—watermelon fields, graveyards, you name it. This time of year, the males are out chasing females all night. Unleashed dogs are fiercer than usual, going straight for the kill with red eyes. They can catch four or five in one night." Xiazhi pulled her under the crooked tree to discuss. "Let's do the math—both the fur and meat have buyers, and badger oil treats burns. Even if we don't sell it to pharmacies, setting up a stall at Tianqiao would guarantee sales. See? It's all money. One badger fetches at least three qian. A single night's work earns more than our wages as executioners." He nudged her with his shoulder as he spoke. "We can't keep being so single-minded. We're not kids anymore, and our family savings are thin. Marrying a wife costs money, and that money won't fall from the sky—we have to earn it ourselves. Hunting badgers is easy—no capital needed, just one dog, two steel forks, and two baskets. Let's give it a try. If we catch nothing, we’ve had a night out. If we do, it’s unexpected profit. What’s not to like?"
Dingyi shot him a glare. "Disgraceful, always thinking about finding a wife!"
Xiazhi scoffed. "If you were a girl and married me, I wouldn’t have to worry."
"Enough, stop talking nonsense." She waved him off, but then it struck her—she really was short on money. Getting to Changbai Mountain required travel funds, and her wet nurse’s husband kept coming into the city to pester her, claiming they were starving and demanding money. Refuse? He’d expose her secret—"You're Wen Lu’s son! Your father was a condemned criminal, yet you pose as a law-abiding citizen working for the yamen?" It was mutual destruction. So she had to pay him hush money to protect her job. After all, being a Headsman was a legitimate livelihood.
Poverty breaks even the mightiest hero. This was an opportunity, but the problem was—where to find a dog?
"No stealing. Let’s check the bird market—there are dog stalls, right? We’ll just buy one."
Xiazhi clasped his hands behind his back, slapping his fan loudly against his spine. "Those stalls sell dogs for nobles to admire—Pekingese, Chow Chows, Tibetan Mastiffs… You want to buy one? You’re not even worth that much. For hunting rabbits or badgers, you don’t need a pedigree—just a mutt like the two-bench dog. Feed it a piece of meat, and it’ll run wild everywhere. Easy to raise, easy to fool."
"Do we really have to steal?" She hesitated. "It doesn’t feel right."
"If everyone steals, it’s not stealing anymore. Besides, managing to steal one is a skill." Xiazhi reassured her. "A watchdog that can’t even guard itself isn’t valued by its owner anyway. How dumb is that, right? The owner can just get a new pup—it’ll be ready in a few months."
Dingyi couldn’t argue. Living in the streets, everyone cut corners to earn a meal. Fine, they’d steal—just this once. She’d never do it again.
The next day, after her shift at the yamen, she washed clothes first. By the time she finished hanging them, Xiazhi had dinner ready. The three of them sat down to eat, the two apprentices wolfing down rice without even touching the dishes. Wu Changgeng watched in bewilderment. "What’s going on? Slow down, don’t choke. Here, have some soup…"
They were in a hurry to go find a dog—who had time for soup?
"Shifu, when’s the pilgrimage gathering?" Dingyi asked calmly. "Going to Miaofeng Mountain takes four days. In this heat, where will you stay? What about meals? How will you manage?"Wu Changgeng picked up some food with his chopsticks and, spotting a shred of meat, nudged it into her bowl. He spoke slowly, "I've taken a few days off and am leaving today. The carriage is ready outside—we'll leave before the city gates close. Traveling at night is cooler. We’ll find a spot to set up a mat shed by midnight. Anywhere’s fine to sleep. As for food, there are folks handing out porridge and steamed buns along the way. If you need something to cool off, there’s even mung bean soup waiting for you!" He then pointed at the two of them with his chopsticks. "While I’m gone, behave yourselves. No trouble. Xiazhi, you’re the senior disciple—look after Xiaoshu and handle your duties properly. If anything goes wrong, I’m holding you accountable. Understood?"
Being their master wasn’t easy. Both disciples had come to him when they were barely ten, raised under his care—he was practically half a mother to them. Despite being a burly, rough-around-the-edges man, he could be remarkably meticulous. Not just meticulous, but fiercely protective. Anyone who dared mess with his disciples would find him ready to fight to the death. Dingyi and Xiazhi sometimes found his nagging tiresome, but they cared deeply for him. They urged him repeatedly, "Don’t worry about us. Take care of yourself out there. Don’t rush under the scorching sun—this year’s heat is especially brutal. If you push yourself too hard and collapse, that won’t do."
"Won’t die," he muttered, setting down his chopsticks. Hearing someone call from outside, he grabbed his straw hat from the wall, slung the mud-yellow saddlebag over his shoulder, and headed out.
The two disciples saw him off outside. Good heavens—the large carts were lined up end to end, four walking mules harnessed at the front. The carts were packed with men, women, and children, all making room for Wu Changgeng. As the leader, he sat at the front to give orders. Once everyone was settled, the driver cracked his whip with a "Giddyup!" and the cart rolled out of Tongfu Alley.
With the shackles off, the two disciples were overjoyed. They hurried back to pack up, leaving the dishes unwashed and soaking in a bucket. Grabbing a coil of rope and a piece of meat laced with Mēng hàn medicine, they set off before dark, scouting the alleys for a good dog to target once night fell.
Great Britain wasn’t like before. While past dynasties had enforced curfews, Great Britain didn’t. Once the city gates were barred, as long as you didn’t leave, you could roam freely within the inner walls.
The capital had plenty of temple fairs. In weather like this, no one dared set up stalls under the blazing sun, so they all aimed to earn their keep at night. Tianqiao and Ritan were always bustling—as evening fell, all sorts of people emerged, running in packs like wolves or dogs. There were wrestling rings, vendors selling peanuts and fermented mung bean juice, even incense and birds… If you could imagine it, you could buy it.
Dingyi followed Xiazhi as they wandered around, darting from one alley to another. They heard plenty of barking—many households had dogs tied up, making them hard targets. After a while, exhaustion set in, and their initial enthusiasm faded. Dingyi yawned, "Shixiong, let’s find a tea stall to rest. Have a bowl of tea, listen to some drum storytelling, then head home."
Xiazhi refused to give up. "The meat’ll stink by tomorrow. We’re feeding it to a dog tonight, no matter what."
Such stubbornness! Dingyi had no choice but to follow. They wandered around, glancing here and there. Passing through Ritan, the clanging of woks echoed from the street vendors. Patiently, they made their way to Fangcaodi. Just as they turned the corner, they spotted a dog crouched by the doorstep of a liver stir-fry shop. The dog was scrawny, with thin, long legs. Panting heavily in the heat, its tongue lolled out as drool dripped from its mouth. It stared at them with an intensity Dingyi had never seen—a truly vicious-looking beast.Dingyi was a bit scared, "What the hell is this, a relative of the Howling Celestial Dog?"
Xiazhi, however, was unusually excited, "Hey, great luck running into top-grade goods! This is a slippery one—a Shandong slender hound, an expert at catching rabbits. No leash around its neck, must be someone's lost pet. What a steal for me!" Without another thought, he tossed out the meat and hid in a spot, waiting for the dog to drop.
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