Wei Caiwei’s first day of rebirth: Must prevent the man from castrating himself, keep the root—perhaps I’ll need it later.
Wei Caiwei’s third day of rebirth: Hand the dog of a man a knife—cut it off, quickly.
Perhaps through telepathy, Wang Daxia suddenly felt an inexplicable chill below and shuddered.
Seeing the laughter outside becoming increasingly inappropriate, Shuntian Prefect Wang the Loach immediately struck his gavel: “Silence! Silence! This is a courtroom, not a theater! Recess! Close the gates!”
The clerks outside the courtroom dispersed the onlookers: “It’s already the fourth point of the first watch (around 8:30). Why don’t you go home quickly! When the second watch arrives (9 PM), curfew begins and the ward gates close—you won’t be able to return even if you want to.”
In the Ming Dynasty, nights were divided into five watches, each watch having five points. Each point lasted twenty-four minutes by Western clocks. The first watch began at seven o’clock. The third point of the first watch was around eight PM, when street watchmen began beating gongs, allowing one hour to remind people to hurry home.
Curfew warnings began at the third point of the first watch, officially starting at the second watch (nine o’clock) and ending at the third point of the fifth watch (approximately 4:12 AM).
The capital’s curfew was enforced by the Five Districts Military Commission responsible for night patrols, each handling the eastern, western, southern, northern, and central districts. Anyone wandering the streets without cause would be arrested and given forty lashes, imprisoned for a night, and forced to pay a fine as punishment.
Those who had followed the excitement from Wanping all the way to Daxing County’s Shuntian Prefecture yamen hurried home, fearing they’d still be on the roads when the second watch arrived.
With curfew approaching, the crowds packed three layers deep inside and outside the courtroom scattered like birds and beasts.
Wei Caiwei cursed the dog of a man, the dead eunuch, about a hundred times in her mind. Now she needed to solve the curfew problem.
Sweet Water Lane was in Wanping County’s northern district. She had come by Chen Jingji’s mule cart, but now Chen Jingji was detained as a witness. With curfew approaching, it would be difficult to hire transport home.
Moreover, the key to the other lock on the main gate was still with Wang Daxia. Even if she could rush back before curfew, she couldn’t open the door.
Wei Caiwei simply stayed at an inn across from Shuntian Prefecture yamen, making do for the night.
After checking into the inn, Wei Caiwei went upstairs, opened the window, and looked at the tightly closed yamen across the street.
At the yamen entrance, horse posts lined both sides with only a few horses tied up. One fine horse had a white hemp cloth tied around its neck, indicating its owner’s family was in mourning.
It was the mount of Chen Qianhu—the chief culprit who betrayed promises, fabricated charges, and nearly destroyed the He family.
Court was currently in recess. The yamen’s constables, Embroidered Uniform Guards, and Northern District Military Commission had all dispersed on horseback to question witnesses. Only Chen Qianhu, Wang Qianhu, Mu Baihu, and a few others remained in the courtroom eating late-night refreshments and drinking tea, waiting for court to resume.
The onlookers had scattered due to approaching curfew. Only an old groom guarding the horses remained at the entrance. The old man clutched a wine gourd, already tipsy, dozing with his arms around his knees.
In the darkness, the white hemp strip around the fine horse’s neck was particularly conspicuous.
Wei Caiwei in the inn realized this was a rare opportunity for revenge. Using feminine wiles to kill Chen Dalang, who liked to steal away for pleasure alone, was easy. But Chen Qianhu traveled with crowds of subordinates—Wei Caiwei fighting alone had no chance of victory and needed to find another opportunity.
Tonight’s opportunity was excellent. If all went smoothly, she could finish off both Chen Qianhu and his son on the same day.
In her previous life, Chen Qianhu wasn’t brought down by Wang Daxia and beheaded as part of the Yan faction until five years later, in the 44th year of Jiajing’s reign, finally avenging Wei Caiwei.
In this life, with opportunity delivering itself, she needn’t wait five years to suffer in hatred.
This life, I’ll take my own revenge. Wei Caiwei made her decision immediately. She left the inn, walked to a corner, then removed the conspicuous white mourning band from her hair. She was already dressed simply in plain blue cloth. Without the mourning band, her black hair immediately blended into the night.
Wei Caiwei quickly walked to Chen Qianhu’s mount and took out a spike fine as ox hair and short as a bee’s stinger. She pierced it into the leather saddle, gently twisting it with her thumb and forefinger. The spike rotated as it slowly penetrated the thick leather, leaving only the tip exposed.
Wei Caiwei embedded three spikes, then poisoned their tips…
After setting the death trap, Wei Caiwei returned to the corner, put on her white mourning band, and deliberately visited the nearby pastry shop about to close, buying a packet of buttered spiral pastries for a late-night snack before returning to the inn.
Wei Caiwei had the shop boy brew a pot of tea. She sat by the window drinking tea and eating buttered spiral pastries, observing the yamen’s movements through the window crack.
In the yamen, Wang Daxia ate and drank in the corner, looking composed.
Mu Baihu comforted Wang Qianhu: “Sir, don’t be angry anymore. Though Second Young Master was wrong to sell land to redeem a courtesan, it’s still better than murder, right?”
Wang Qianhu truly wanted to cry but had no tears. What could he do? He could only despairingly accept the fact that his son was a wastrel.
Like Mu Baihu said—at least it was better than murder, right?
Embroidered Uniform Guard Zhou Xiaoqi brought late-night refreshments, urging his superior Chen Qianhu to eat: “Sir, tonight will likely require all-night case review. You haven’t even eaten dinner. Please have something first—your body won’t hold up.”
Grief-stricken over his son’s death, Chen Qianhu had no appetite. He waved his hand: “Leave it there. I’ll eat later.”
Zhou Xiaoqi urged again: “Sir—”
Chen Qianhu glared with intimidating authority: “I don’t want to repeat the same words twice. Withdraw.”
From beginning to end, Chen Qianhu never touched the refreshments, only drinking a cup of tea.
In the inn, after finishing the melt-in-your-mouth buttered spiral pastries and drinking the tea to its third steeping, Wei Caiwei saw officers gradually bringing witnesses to Shuntian Prefecture yamen.
Master Zhang, the feng shui diviner who bought the Sanlitun estate from Wang Daxia.
The manager and clerks from Santong Money House’s Gulou West Slant Street branch.
The Red Sleeve Pavilion’s madam and brothel servants.
And former Red Sleeve Pavilion courtesan Miss Yingying.
Miss Yingying was the last to arrive. She had washed off her makeup, wearing a deep purple dress that appeared black in the night. She wore no jewelry in her hair, only a black head wrap whose corners hung down to her shoulder blades.
Head wraps were generally worn by literati and scholars at home or during literary gatherings—very elegant.
The courtesan queen lived up to her reputation. Needing no jewelry to enhance her beauty, her natural appearance was already dazzling.
Among these witnesses, only Master Zhang held official rank as a Changjiao from the Ministry of Rites’ Buddhist Registry, a sixth-rank official who could sit while speaking in court. The others were all commoners who had to kneel when speaking.
Wang Daxia, having eaten and drunk his fill, dozed while kneeling on his cushion. Seeing Wang Yanei kneeling, everyone else knelt as well.
Only Miss Yingying was spared. Her excessive beauty stirred Wang the Loach’s protective instincts. He coughed lightly twice: “You’re a woman—just stand while answering.”
Everyone present was an official. Wang the Loach couldn’t have a woman who had just escaped slavery sit as equals with these officials.
“Thank you for your grace, sir.” Miss Yingying stood beside Wang Daxia and curtsied: “I didn’t expect that helping me gain my freedom would make you a murder suspect. I’m truly sorry.”
Seeing a beautiful woman, Wang Daxia perked up: “No matter. Everything’s cleared up now. I haven’t lost a single hair.”
Clap!
“Court is in session.” Wang the Loach struck his gavel and first asked Master Zhang: “This morning, did Master Zhang sign contracts at Sanlitun as Wang Daxia stated?”
Master Zhang, sitting as he spoke, nodded: “Correct.”
Wang the Loach asked again: “Who commissioned Master Zhang to buy this land?”
Master Zhang was a court official and famous feng shui diviner in the capital, even participating in imperial tomb site selection. He was thus a favored figure among the capital’s high officials and nobles for finding auspicious burial sites.
Master Zhang looked around, his gaze settling on Chen Qianhu in mourning clothes: “The noble person who commissioned me—I shouldn’t speak his name directly in court, as it would be disrespectful. But this concerns the murder case of Young Master Chen—a matter of life and death that I cannot remain silent about. How about this: I’ll write down the noble person’s name for Chen Qianhu, Wang Qianhu, and Prefect Wang to see. After reading, burn it immediately—just between us. How does that sound?”
With dignitaries filling the capital, Master Zhang’s extreme caution indicated a truly formidable figure, so all three nodded in agreement.
The criminal law advisor personally provided brush, ink, and paper. Master Zhang wrote the name on paper. The advisor held the paper for the three to see, first presenting it to the grieving party, Chen Qianhu.
After reading, Chen Qianhu’s face turned paper-white, his expression increasingly desperate.
After Wang Qianhu read it, his eyes looked burned by fire as he instinctively covered his mouth.
Finally presented to Wang the Loach, who trembled after reading, quickly burning the paper and saying to Master Zhang: “Sorry to trouble Master Zhang so late. I’ve finished my questions. Do either of the two thousand-household commanders have anything to ask?”
Wang Qianhu immediately said: “Nothing.” With such a powerful figure behind Master Zhang, he dared not ask!
Chen Qianhu stiffly shook his head.
Wang the Loach said: “In that case, Master Zhang, please return.”
Everyone stood to see Master Zhang off.
Next came the Red Sleeve Pavilion’s madam and brothel servants, then the Santong Money House manager and clerks—all matching Wang Daxia’s testimony.
When questioning the final witness, Miss Yingying, the situation was decided. The murderer absolutely wasn’t Wang Daxia. Continuing would waste time.
Chen Qianhu suddenly stood up. Having not eaten dinner and sitting long, he felt dizzy and swayed slightly: “I take my leave.”
As Chen Qianhu walked out, Wang the Loach raised his hand to detain him: “Chen Qianhu, Miss Yingying hasn’t answered yet. This case is still under review.”
Chen Qianhu needed to return to interrogate other suspects. Ignoring Wang the Loach, he simply left.
Wang the Loach felt somewhat embarrassed: I’m still the capital’s parent official! This is too arrogant!
“This case is closed. Wang Daxia is innocent. Court dismissed!” Better to avoid trouble—Wang the Loach quit while ahead.
Wang Daxia stood up from his cushion, stretched, and said to Miss Yingying: “It’s so late—let me escort you back—mmph!”
Wang Qianhu covered the wastrel’s mouth and forcibly dragged him away—he absolutely couldn’t watch his son publicly flirt with a courtesan.
This woman was beautiful as a demon. No wonder she could coax the wastrel into selling land to redeem her freedom.
If the wastrel escorted the demon home and entered her lair, wouldn’t he be devoured completely?
Wang Qianhu decided to tie up the wastrel and confine him at home.
Outside the yamen, Chen Qianhu mounted his horse. The moment he sat in the saddle, he felt some numbness and itching on both sides of his buttocks, like mosquito bites. But the sensation quickly disappeared, so he continued spurring his horse forward.
Nearing his home, Chen Qianhu couldn’t hold on anymore. He was emotionally depressed and hadn’t eaten all evening. Dizzy and weak-legged, after riding all this way, his dizzy symptoms worsened and he gradually felt difficulty breathing.
If this continued, he might fall from horseback.
Chen Qianhu used all his strength to pull the reins and stop. His body floated down from the saddle like cotton, fortunately caught by his subordinates.
“Sir! Are you alright!”
Chen Qianhu clutched his throat with both hands: “I… I can’t breathe.”