Wu Dianyong was greatly shocked: “How did you end up in here?”
Ding Wu wanted to say something, but when he opened his mouth, only blood foam came out, then he fainted.
Wu Dianyong looked at the injuries on Ding Wu’s body – good heavens! From his buttocks down to his thighs, he was beaten so badly that not a patch of good skin remained!
His buttocks were completely mangled, his thighs swollen enormously – it looked like he had taken at least a hundred rod strikes.
What crime had Ding Wu committed to be beaten like this? Didn’t his sworn sister have Wang Daxia and Commander Lu as her backing?
How did the Embroidered Uniform Guard discover and raid Wanhuo Trading Company? Wu Dianyong had been pondering this question. He suspected his subordinates, and also suspected the suddenly appeared neighbor Ding Wu. After all, Ding Wu had connections with Embroidered Uniform Guards Lu Ying and Wang Daxia, and problems arose in the shop just when the sect leader was about to leave.
But seeing Ding Wu’s miserable state, Wu Dianyong’s suspicions fell back on his subordinates. People accustomed to betrayal always think others are traitors.
Wu Dianyong had been kept separate from his shop subordinates, so he didn’t know what was happening outside. He only knew the Embroidered Uniform Guard hadn’t caught sect leader Zhao Quan yet, otherwise they wouldn’t keep questioning him. Seeing he really couldn’t provide useful intelligence, they discarded him like worn-out shoes.
Wu Dianyong and the sect leader were both extremely selfish people. Now that he had lost his usefulness and had no way out, Wu Dianyong didn’t care who had betrayed the White Lotus Sect, nor did he care how Ding Wu ended up in this situation.
He only wanted to know how to save his own life next… Should I reveal my last bit of information?
Or keep it for a crucial moment?
Wu Dianyong huddled in the corner thinking about how to survive, while Ding Wu lay motionless on a broken reed mat…
After about half an hour, a jailer came to deliver food. 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 rough enough to scratch the throat, and a small dish of pickled radish greens.
Wu Dianyong didn’t dare say anything and obediently took his food to eat in the corner. The jailer tapped Ding Wu’s swollen buttocks with a stick, “Time to eat!”
Ah!
Ding Wu was painfully awakened. He couldn’t stand up at all and couldn’t take care of himself, so he had to lie on the mat and beg Wu Dianyong, “Please, Shopkeeper Wu, help me bring in the food. I can’t move right now.”
Wu Dianyong didn’t know what crime Ding Wu had committed and didn’t dare cause trouble, so he ignored him.
Ding Wu said, “I only want the bowl of porridge. The pancake and pickles are yours.”
Only then did Wu Dianyong bring him food.
Ding Wu drank half a bowl of porridge and finally had some strength. He sighed, “I was truly sitting at home when disaster fell from the sky. I don’t know who falsely accused me, saying I’m with the White Lotus Sect. I was brought here and beaten severely, forced to confess where the sect leader is. How would I know about any sect leader? I just wanted to do some medicinal herb trading to get rich.”
Wu Dianyong didn’t believe him, “Don’t you have Wang Yanei as your backing? Didn’t your sworn sister come to plead for you?”
“She did plead,” Ding Wu said. “Otherwise I would have been beaten to death already. In the torture room, these injuries of mine are the lightest – just rod beatings. I saw several clerks from your shop there. All ten of their fingernails were pulled out, and some had candle wax dripped in their eyes.”
Wu Dianyong heard this and drew in a sharp breath: Thank goodness I surrendered early! Otherwise I would have suffered terribly!
However, hearing that Ding Wu’s sister’s pleading was quite effective, Wu Dianyong felt Ding Wu was someone he could use. He immediately changed his attitude, returned Ding Wu’s food to him, broke the rough pancake into small pieces, soaked it in the remaining half bowl of porridge to soften it, added some pickled vegetables to make it easier to swallow.
“Eat up.” Wu Dianyong fed Ding Wu with a wooden spoon.
“Thank you.” While eating, Ding Wu complained, “White Lotus Sect – what a joke! How could I possibly join the White Lotus Sect? Back then, my father was an esteemed Minister of War, almost ready to enter the cabinet as a Grand Secretary. It was because the White Lotus Sect guided the way that An Da Khan’s army drove straight in. My father was ordered to defend the capital and couldn’t go out to fight, ultimately leading to our family’s ruin. I hate the White Lotus Sect – how could I possibly join them?”
After eating a few bites, Ding Wu asked, “Shopkeeper Wu was also falsely accused and brought in, right? I see you’re clean and haven’t suffered much. You should be released soon.”
“My situation… is rather special.” Wu Dianyong lied readily, “To be honest with you, I was once bewitched by the White Lotus Sect and joined for a while, but later I discovered the White Lotus Sect only deceived followers to collect money, not to save all beings or relieve suffering. I awakened, abandoned darkness for light, and cooperated with the Embroidered Uniform Guard to lure the sect leader here, hoping to catch them all in one net. But something went wrong and the sect leader escaped.”
Ding Wu asked, “Your merits and faults offset each other – why are you still imprisoned here?”
Wu Dianyong sighed, “We didn’t catch the sect leader, so although the Embroidered Uniform Guard didn’t torture me, they suspect my sincerity. Alas, I’m now despised by both sides.”
Ding Wu sighed, “We’re both unfortunates who’ve fallen on hard times. The Embroidered Uniform Guard says because I was friendly with your Wanhuo Trading Company and even chose to open my medicine shop next to yours, I must have joined the White Lotus Sect. Two Embroidered Uniform Guard spies disguised as merchants went to Shuntian Prefecture to falsely accuse you of using fake banknotes, intending to find an excuse to seal your property, search your shops and warehouses, and delay the sect leader. But I didn’t know! I foolishly pleaded for you with Captain Wu, even called Wang Yanei to support you. Actually, this was all Wang Yanei’s scheme. Fearing to alert you, he pretended to agree, just to buy time.”
Thinking of this, Ding Wu regretfully pounded the broken mat with both hands, “Just because I pleaded for you, even Wang Daxia now suspects me. I explained to him countless times that I hate the White Lotus Sect, but he said White Lotus Sect members all harbor resentment against the court, feeling the court is unjust. The court caused my mother to die during exile, the court sentenced my father to death, the court made me fall from a noble young master to a penniless exile. So I secretly joined the White Lotus Sect to revenge against the court.”
“Truly, if you want to condemn someone, you can always find a pretext. How would I dare resent the court? I just want to save my life and stay in the capital, not return to the bitter cold exile lands of Tieling. Of course, if I could get rich, that would be even better. To run the medicine shop well, naturally I had to maintain good relations with neighbors for future mutual support. I just wanted to make more money, have a prosperous business, and live a good life – is that wrong? If Wang Daxia were doing business, wouldn’t he also need to maintain good relations with neighboring shops?”
“I didn’t expect this remark to anger him. He said he comes from a thousand-household family and wouldn’t deign to engage in such merchant activities.”
“All these injuries were inflicted by him. If not for my sworn sister’s desperate pleas, I probably would have been beaten to death.”
At the mention of Wang Daxia’s name, Wu Dianyong was immediately transported back to the terror of being dominated by silver needles in the rainy night carriage. His brain had nearly been scrambled into mush by Wang Daxia’s needle interrogation, and he immediately felt a headache!
Wang Daxia, that mad dog! This was exactly the kind of thing he would do!
Those three prefecture school students had only verbally molested his lover Doctor Wei, and he stripped the three students naked for public humiliation. Only he could think of such “genius” methods of tormenting people.
“Don’t mention that person.” Wu Dianyong’s face went pale as he held his head, “He’s not human – he’s a devil.”
Ding Wu nodded, “Exactly. This person is moody, willful and spoiled, with vicious methods. My sworn sister follows him without name or status – who knows what the outcome will be. So I often advise my sister that serving with beauty cannot last long. While she’s with him, she should gather more money and benefits. Don’t waste her youth. As long as she has money, she can find an honest man to marry later and live a stable, prosperous life.”
Ding Wu was so practical, shameless, and only looked at benefits, openly living off his sworn sister’s earnings. Wu Dianyong immediately felt he was a kindred spirit and saw hope in Ding Wu, saying, “That day on the painted boat at Jishui Pond… those two were very intimate, whispering sweet words behind the screen. Wang – this devil is deeply infatuated with your sister and listens to everything she says. To clear your name and escape, you still need to rely on your sister’s relationship with him. Don’t antagonize the devil now, or you’ll be the one who suffers.”
Wu Dianyong continued feeding Ding Wu the coarse pancake soaked in thin porridge with pickles, “Boss Ding, when you’re released, don’t forget me. I’m also very wronged – more wronged than Dou E.”
“I know, a wise man doesn’t fight when the odds are against him.” Ding Wu struggled to swallow the food, “We’ve shared the hardship of imprisonment together – through thick and thin, sharing wealth and poverty. I greatly admire Shopkeeper Wu. When we’re both out and my medicine shop opens, come be my manager. We’ll make money together.”
Wu Dianyong quickly agreed, thinking to himself: The private money I’ve secretly saved over these years is enough to open a hundred medicine shops. Why would I need to be your broken-down manager? I just want to use you to escape.
They spent the night this way. Ding Wu was repeatedly awakened by pain, lying on the broken mat moaning and groaning, sometimes calling for his mother, sometimes his father, unable to turn over – very pitiful.
Wu Dianyong stuffed some cotton from the torn quilt in his ears and fell into deep sleep. Nothing was more important than his own health. If he ate poorly and slept poorly too, it would be fatal.
The next day, the jailer brought breakfast – only two bowls of thin porridge so clear you could see the bottom, made from grain of unknown age, with a musty smell.
Wu Dianyong took both portions of thin porridge, “Brother, eat up. It’s better than starving.”
After drinking the meal, they were even hungrier, their stomachs rebelling with loud rumbling.
Then they smelled a wonderful aroma of meat, like meat buns.
It turned out Wei Caiwei had come to visit, bringing prison food for her sworn brother.
Wei Caiwei handed the jailer a note, “This is specially approved by Commander Lu, allowing me to enter and treat my brother’s injuries.”
Wu Dianyong thought: Tsk tsk, this widow is really something, playing both sides.
The jailer was wary of Wu Dianyong. He first opened the door, put shackles on Wu Dianyong, chained him to a corner of the cell, forbidding him from approaching others, then let Wei Caiwei in.
Wei Caiwei set down the food box and brought out a steamer of meat buns and a jar of milk.
Ding Wu hadn’t forgotten Wu Dianyong, “Give him half.”
Wei Caiwei hesitated, “But… he’s with the White Lotus Sect. You were imprisoned precisely because White Lotus Sect people falsely accused you. Now in such a compromising situation, you should avoid suspicion. How can you give him food? Wang Daxia will suspect you again.”
Ding Wu didn’t dare talk back to Wang Daxia, but facing his sworn sister, he expertly manipulated her, “You used to be so obedient, doing whatever I said. Now that you’ve climbed high branches, my words don’t matter anymore?”
Wei Caiwei had no choice but to divide both the milk and buns in half, passing them to Wu Dianyong.
Wu Dianyong thanked her and ate as elegantly as possible.
While Ding Wu ate breakfast, Wei Caiwei used scissors to cut open his clothes, disregarding propriety between men and women, applying medicine to his injuries from waist down to above the knees.
“Be gentle!” Ding Wu pounded the bed in pain.
Wei Caiwei said, “Your injuries are to flesh and skin, not bones and tendons. They look terrible but aren’t that serious. Wang Daxia showed mercy. Someone testified against you, and you pleaded for the White Lotus Sect leader, nearly ruining the Embroidered Uniform Guard’s plans. If he didn’t beat you, how could he explain to his superiors? I heard His Majesty personally inquired about this case. He has his difficulties.”
Ding Wu said sarcastically, “Oh, then I should thank him properly. But I’d have to get out first to thank him. If you serve him well, he’ll definitely agree.”
Wei Caiwei was silent for a moment, then said, “He said he’d find a way to beat whoever falsely accused you until they change their testimony and clear your name.”
Ding Wu asked, “When? Go beat them now! Once they’re beaten into submission, they’ll change their testimony and I can be released.”
Wei Caiwei said, “But… both Commander Lu and Lord Lu suspect you. This matter probably won’t be resolved quickly.”
Hearing this, Ding Wu quickly said, “Then go serve Commander Lu. He’s always had lingering feelings for you.”
Wei Caiwei’s hand applying medicine paused, “I’m not a prostitute. Allowing me in to treat your injuries is already Commander Lu showing consideration for past affections. I can’t ask for too much.”
Ding Wu said coldly, “Don’t forget – if I hadn’t saved you, you would have died like a stray dog by the roadside. I had servants take you in and taught you medicine. Without me, you’d be nothing. Now I’m nearly dying of pain in this hellish place, and you can’t be a prostitute once to save me?”
Wei Caiwei couldn’t bear it anymore. She wiped the medicine from her hands with a handkerchief, “I brought you from the bitter cold lands of Tieling to the capital. You, an exile, could establish yourself in the capital – was that by your own ability? You eat my food, wear my clothes, live in my house, use my men as backing, and the medicine shop’s capital was also from me, yet you treat me like a prostitute?”
“There are plenty of prostitutes in the capital – younger than me, prettier than me, with more talents. Are Commander Lu and Wang Daxia blind to not patronize them but patronize me instead? Do they fancy my age? Do they fancy that I’m a widow? How could you even think of such things!”
“Apply the medicine yourself. Reflect properly in prison. I’m no longer the humble, dog-like person you could manipulate at will. Stop treating me like a dog – I’m a human being.”
Wei Caiwei swept her sleeves and left.
Author’s Note: Answering everyone’s most pressing question: Wei Caiwei is set to wear size 36 shoes. A divine reader in last chapter’s comments said that a person’s foot length equals the distance from wrist to elbow. I tested this with my own size 40 feet and upper arm – they matched perfectly, exactly the same length!
Strange knowledge keeps increasing. So readers who wear size 36 shoes can now imagine what Little Xia looked like when he perked up.