Wei Caiwei said, “Really, I didn’t. This time I came not only to give you acupuncture, but also to give Prince Yu’s consort a definitive answer that I can’t do it. Seeing that the prince’s mansion has repainted its main gate, whitewashed the courtyard walls, and has red charcoal burning in the carriage, I was very surprised.”
Seeing Wei Caiwei’s serious expression, Li Jiubao knew she wasn’t being modest and felt puzzled. “But this is too much of a coincidence. The prince’s consort had just asked me to entreat you, and on the fifth day, the Ministry of Revenue delivered all the overdue salary silver and rice to the prince’s mansion. The prince’s consort had originally prepared generous gifts to thank you, but when she learned you had entered the palace, she set them aside, waiting for you to leave the palace before presenting them.”
Wei Caiwei said, “I’ll go explain to the prince’s consort. I don’t deserve rewards without merit—it wasn’t my doing, so I don’t dare accept the thank-you gifts.”
On the way to the main courtyard, Wei Caiwei saw a temporarily built wall encircling a large courtyard, with clanging sounds coming from within and craftsmen’s chanting as they carried lumber.
Wei Caiwei asked, “Is the prince’s mansion under construction?”
Li Jiubao said, “The prince’s consort said that when nine of us ladies-in-waiting were sent to the prince’s mansion together, only I live alone in the main house with my own separate courtyard, while the other eight are all crowded together, which isn’t fair. Now that we have money, she’s having a garden area cleaned up and divided into nine small courtyards, giving each person their own courtyard to live quietly. They’re also renaming the renovated buildings Pomegranate Garden. The craftsmen are working day and night so that by New Year, we can move to new residences for good fortune.”
Pomegranates have many seeds, symbolizing many children and great blessings, and flourishing branches and leaves—an auspicious name. Prince Yu’s consort had broken her heart worrying about continuing the bloodline.
After Wei Caiwei finished Li Jiubao’s acupuncture treatment, the stewardess who had been waiting outside immediately invited her to speak with the prince’s consort in the main hall.
Prince Yu’s consort’s main hall had also been completely renewed—all the curtains, table covers, and chair covers had been replaced, even the carpets were new.
With money, Prince Yu’s consort’s spirit and energy were completely different. She wore a complete set of gold-inlaid ruby jewelry that had just been redeemed from the pawn shop, with an air of pride and elation.
The consorts of the mid-to-late Ming Dynasty all came from humble families and originally had little knowledge. Prince Yu’s consort had only been a prince’s consort for two years and couldn’t yet maintain complete composure. After being poor for two years and suddenly receiving over twenty thousand taels of silver, Prince Yu’s consort was happier than if she had slept with Prince Yu—money was truly a woman’s best friend.
Wei Caiwei, holding her gold-inlaid gemstone hand warmer, paid respects to Prince Yu’s consort.
Prince Yu’s consort’s gaze fell on her hand warmer. Even a female physician’s hand warmer was better than hers, which showed the rumors were true—Doctor Wei was a favored person with the court’s beloved consort Shang Zhaoyi.
The court’s winds had suddenly changed. Consort Lu Jing, who had managed the inner palace for over ten years, had fallen from power, and thirteen-year-old Shang Zhaoyi had clearly become the most powerful woman in the harem.
A wet nurse brought an embroidered stool, preparing for Wei Caiwei to sit down.
But after seeing the hand warmer, Prince Yu’s consort changed her mind and pulled Wei Caiwei to sit face-to-face on the large heated platform by the window.
Prince Yu’s consort was a prince’s consort, while Wei Caiwei was currently just a commoner. For the two of them to sit as equals was an enormous honor for a common woman.
Wei Caiwei knew Prince Yu’s consort was doing this to thank her and hastily declined, not daring to sit.
“Oh, just sit down,” Prince Yu’s consort insisted on her sitting. To the prince’s consort, Wei Caiwei was a divine physician who could cure poverty. Never mind sitting as equals—she could be enshrined and worshipped like a God of Wealth.
Wei Caiwei didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Continued pushing back and forth would look unseemly, so she had to sit down and said, “This common woman would like to speak privately with Your Highness.”
Prince Yu’s consort dismissed everyone. “This matter of the Ministry of Revenue making up the overdue salary—I must thank Doctor Wei for her help.”
“It wasn’t this common woman,” Wei Caiwei said. “Really it wasn’t. This common woman spent this entire month in the inner palace treating Shang Zhaoyi and never even saw Vice Minister Yan of the Ministry of Revenue.”
Prince Yu’s consort paused, then smiled as usual. “I understand Doctor Wei’s difficulties—you don’t want to be drawn into conflicts, and you don’t want to leave your name even when doing good deeds. I understand. However, I will still remember Doctor Wei’s kindness. I prepared gifts long ago. Don’t worry—I’ll treat it as consultation fees for treating Lady Li Xuanshi. Even outsiders who know about it can’t find fault with this. Paying for medical treatment is perfectly reasonable. With Doctor Wei’s current status, a consultation fee of one hundred taels wouldn’t be excessive.”
Last time it was five taels of silver; this time it had increased twenty-fold.
Wei Caiwei truly couldn’t explain clearly even with a hundred mouths. When she denied it, Prince Yu’s consort thought she didn’t want to be involved in succession struggles and wanted to stay out of it, but she couldn’t very well admit to it either.
But she really hadn’t done it!
After Wei Caiwei left, her carriage contained a red envelope with one hundred taels of silver, and two mule carts followed behind, loaded with cured meats, dried fish, preserved duck, various dried fruits from north and south, tiger’s eye rock candy, and more that the prince’s mansion had sent. She didn’t even need to prepare New Year goods—the prince’s mansion had picked the finest of everything and sent a complete set.
The food items were fine—she could consider them consultation fees. But the hundred taels of silver was really too much to handle. Without merit, she didn’t deserve rewards. Wei Caiwei deposited the silver at Santong Bank, exchanging it for a light bank note, planning to return it to Prince Yu’s consort when the real benefactor was revealed.
In any case, no matter how she explained now, Prince Yu’s consort wouldn’t listen.
When Wei Caiwei returned home, a month’s worth of dust had accumulated. Walking in really left footprints with every step, and the rear courtyard was piled with several stacks of imperial gifts and presents from Prince Yu’s mansion.
Wei Caiwei went outside to hire some short-term servant women to clean the house thoroughly. Curtains and bedding were taken out to be washed and aired, charcoal braziers were lit indoors to drive out dampness, and the heated brick bed was also fired up.
After she went to the flower market to buy several pots of winter plum to place in the house, everything was tidied up and finally restored to a lived-in feeling. Even the dust on the moon cakes before the memorial tablets was wiped clean with a cloth, making them look freshly baked, though they were hard as stone.
Wei Caiwei took off her shoes and lay down on the heated brick bed, comfortably stretching out all four limbs. Though the palace was nice, it wasn’t as comfortable as home.
Wei Caiwei looked at the sky. By evening, Wang Daxia should be off duty and heading home. When he saw the cleaned doors and windows, he should know she had returned. She had bought marinated meat from a restaurant—tonight they could drink wine and roast meat in the courtyard.
With thoughts of Wang Daxia, Wei Caiwei fell asleep.
At evening, Wei Caiwei was awakened by knocking at the door. She quickly got up, wiped her face, applied some rouge to her lips, and went to open the door.
Wei Caiwei: “You… both came.”
Indeed, it was Wang Daxia… and Lu Ying.
Although Wei Caiwei also liked Lu Ying, at this moment, she only wanted to spend a wonderful evening alone with Wang Daxia.
While Wei Caiwei’s heart stirred with desire, Wang Daxia looked urgent, and Lu Ying maintained her usual expressionless expression.
The two entered the house. Wang Daxia closed the door with a snap and dropped the door bar. “Lu Ying and I came to protect you, in case that person continues to harm you.”
Wei Caiwei was confused. “That day when you cross-dressed as a woman, didn’t you already identify him? Did the criminal escape?”
How could it be that after being in the palace for a month, the outside world had changed like seas turning into mulberry fields? Prince Yu’s mansion was like this, and so was the criminal.
Lu Ying explained the current situation with the Imperial Guard holding back: “Because it involves succession struggles, without solid evidence, we can’t move to arrest anyone yet. We’re still monitoring. So you’re not safe now. We came to protect you.”
So that’s how it is!
Wang Daxia asked, “Did you go to Prince Yu’s mansion today?”
How do you know? Wei Caiwei nodded. “Yes, to treat Lady Li Xuanshi. We arranged to meet once a month.”
“Don’t go anymore,” Wang Daxia said hurriedly. “Prince Yu’s mansion isn’t clean now.”
Wei Caiwei frowned. “It’s not very nice of you to talk about people that way.”
Wang Daxia was so anxious he became incoherent.
Lu Ying said, “Prince Yu’s mansion is currently undergoing major renovations, and Prince Jing’s people have infiltrated it. These include Daoists from White Deer Temple and some craftsmen whose backgrounds even we don’t know—a mixed bag. We suspect Prince Jing intends harm to Prince Yu, but we have no evidence. Moreover, my father forbids us from participating in the struggle between the two princes—we can only observe.”
“Several of our Imperial Guard agents also infiltrated as craftsmen for convenient monitoring. Some of them recognize you, which is how we knew you had left the palace and visited Prince Yu’s mansion.”
“Right, right, right! That’s exactly what I mean,” Wang Daxia said urgently. “Prince Yu’s mansion now has security holes everywhere, with people from all sides. It’s like a powder keg that could explode at any moment. Prince Yu’s mansion is more dangerous than your home.”
“We can’t always accompany you,” Wang Daxia pointed to his house next door. “Why don’t you move to my house? My family has guards and watchmen, Commander Mu also lives at my house, and people from the Northern District Military Commission frequently patrol. The criminals probably wouldn’t dare enter rashly. You’d be safe at my house.”
Wei Caiwei hadn’t expected the situation to have gotten so out of control. She said, “I can’t go to your house. First, I’m a widow—there’s no reason for me to move to a neighbor’s house. I’m not worried about my own reputation—I’m already notorious anyway—but your father and Commander Mu are both single men with reputations in the northern district. You also know how vicious outside rumors can be. I can’t tarnish their names.”
Wang Daxia pointed to himself. “I’m also single and unmarried. Why don’t you mention me?”
Wei Caiwei asked back, “Is there any difference between our reputations? A wastrel and a wanton woman.”
Wang Daxia fell silent.
Wei Caiwei continued, “Second, if I lived at your house and those people are Prince Jing’s men, the Qionghua Island incident showed how utterly ruthless they can be. Who knows what desperate things they might do? I don’t want to implicate your family members. Your younger brother is only three years old. That won’t work.”
Before Wang Daxia could object, Wei Caiwei asked Lu Ying, “I have a question. Vice Minister Yan Shifan, who loves money like his life, suddenly coughed up the salary owed to Prince Yu’s mansion for two years. Was it to facilitate Prince Jing’s people monitoring Prince Yu’s mansion?”
To pluck feathers from an iron rooster, there must be ambitions greater than money itself.
Author’s Note: Looking at the comments from the last chapter, everyone is so clever! You all understood the reason for plucking feathers from the iron rooster. You all have the makings of Imperial Guards—hurry up and join the organization!