Wang Daxia ran toward the main hall following the greyhound while shouting, “There’s a mole who let the black specter in—quickly protect Prince Yu!”

But the rear courtyard was empty, with no one responding or running to pass the message.

Wang Daxia’s leg was still lame, leaving uneven footprints—deep and shallow—in the road. He stepped on icy pavement, slipped, and fell face-first into the snow.

Fortunately Lu Ying caught up to help him up. Wang Daxia said urgently, “How can such a large mansion not have even one patrolling soldier!”

Lu Ying said, “Prince Yu can’t afford them. The forty-odd guards he has are all watching the four main gates.”

Little Wang the greyhound ran fastest, already following scents to the main hall’s back door. With doors and windows tightly shut, Little Wang clawed at the door again, howling frantically.

In the main hall, Prince Yu and his beautiful wives and concubines feigned calm composure while eating their vegetarian feast. Chief Eunuch Li Fang brought Wei Caiwei to the rear of the hall.

They all heard dog barking from the back door and could vaguely see the dog’s form through the window lattice.

The black specter has come! Li Fang and two guards began to feel intimidated.

Wei Caiwei sensed something was wrong: Dogs used for supernatural trickery would have their vocal cords poisoned to prevent revealing their true nature, at most making gurgling sounds, never barking wildly. Earlier in the snow when Lu Ying fired her gun, the black specter made no sound either—why was it barking so vigorously now?

This seemed like a real dog?

While pondering this, Wei Caiwei heard purring sounds like a cat from the left. She turned sideways to see a green black specter staring at her with two golden eyes.

Judging by its build, this was a carefully raised large wolf-dog, even bigger than a real wolf!

Li Fang and the two guards also saw it. Li Fang covered his mouth in fright, afraid of attracting the black specter’s attention by making noise. The two guards slowly drew their sabers.

Wei Caiwei saw the back door’s bolt was fastened. Dogs couldn’t open doors, much less close them, so there was a mole in the main hall—the mole had opened the door to let the black specter in.

Wei Caiwei had no martial skills and definitely couldn’t defeat a trained large wolf-dog. She would likely perish under its fangs.

However, Wei Caiwei was prepared. She raised her index finger to her lips, gesturing “shush” to Li Fang’s group, then lifted a cotton robe hanging on her arm and waved it at the black specter. “Looking for me? Come on!”

With that, Wei Caiwei threw the cotton robe hard forward. The large wolf-dog began going mad upon smelling the robe’s scent, running and leaping to catch the robe in mid-air!

This was Prince Yu’s cotton robe he’d removed when entering the room, saturated with his scent.

During training, dogs attack scarecrows or wooden figures with this scent. Dogs follow smell, not caring whether it’s clothing or a living person.

Taking advantage of the black specter tearing at the cotton robe, Wei Caiwei quickly ran back with Li Fang and the others, shouting while running, “There’s a mole—quickly leave here!”

Meanwhile, at the vegetarian feast, two servants brought over charcoal braziers, saying to the managing matron serving Princess Yu, “The charcoal in the hotpot is nearly ash—let’s add some charcoal.”

The managing matron saw the hotpot cooking slowly with insufficient heat, so she ordered the servants to add charcoal to the hotpot.

A servant picked up long fire tongs, gripping a piece of red charcoal to place in the stove fire in the pot’s center. Just then, everyone heard Li Fang’s shrill cry “There’s a mole—evacuate quickly!”

Upon hearing this, Prince Yu quickly set down his chopsticks and stood up. “Let’s go!”

Guards protected Prince Yu and left first, Princess Yu followed closely, and nine concubines also stood up, walking at the rear.

Missing this opportunity would be too late! The two servants exchanged glances, added the “red charcoal” to the hotpot, then quickly departed.

A thunderous explosion sounded as the bronze hotpot was blown apart on the spot, black smoke billowing up, writhing like a black dragon!

Wei Caiwei ran over, seeing the great black dragon above the dining table, shouting, “Cover your mouths and noses! Don’t breathe! The black smoke is poisonous—get out quickly!”

Guards pulling Prince Yu had reached the door. Hearing this, they quickly opened the door and fled. Princess Yu followed, safely evacuating under protection of palace servants and the managing matron.

But the nine concubines following behind were too late. Some were cut by bronze hotpot fragments from the explosion or burned by scalding soup from the pot. Severe pain slowed their reactions. Caught by black smoke, they couldn’t hold their breath in time. After inhaling black smoke, their bodies went limp and they collapsed.

Wei Caiwei wore a wet face covering, unafraid of black smoke. She ran over, dragging each concubine to the doorway for guards to pull out and transfer to safe rooms.

Li Jiubao absolutely cannot come to harm!

But under the black smoke, faces couldn’t be seen clearly. Wei Caiwei grabbed any human form to drag out, praying that Li Jiubao, blessed by fortune, had already been dragged to safety.

There were nine concubines total. When Wei Caiwei dragged out the fifth, she heard gurgling sounds behind her. Needless to say, the mole had driven the black specter here. The specter was about to jump through the doorway to find Prince Yu. Wei Caiwei had just dragged the fifth concubine near the doorway, blocking the specter’s path.

Wei Caiwei released the concubine’s hand, drew the short knife hidden in her boot for protection, and turned to face the black specter.

The green fluorescent black specter leaped up, pouncing toward Wei Caiwei’s throat.

Just then, two gunshots rang out almost simultaneously. The black specter whimpered and crashed to the ground, dying instantly.

It was Lu Ying and others who had kicked through windows, climbed in, and opened the back door. Wang Daxia and Lu Ying fired together, eliminating the black specter.

Wei Caiwei, now exhausted, pointed to the unconscious concubines on the ground. “Quickly save them—inhaling too much black smoke causes madness, even death.”

All seven wore wet face coverings and rescued the remaining concubines.

Wang Daxia finally dragged out the fluorescent black specter. Wei Caiwei grabbed a handful of snow and scrubbed vigorously at the specter’s green fur, revealing gray fur beneath. “Everyone please see—it’s just a dog. Someone used black specter legends to stir up trouble at Prince Yu’s mansion with ill intentions.”

Lu Ying led people to search the main hall, finding two servants who had “seasoned” the hotpot. They were dead, kneeling with a sharp blade skewering them both like candied fruit.

Both still clutched banknotes tightly—people die for wealth, birds for food.

The main hall door opened and closed frantically in the howling north wind, wildly striking the doorframe. Lu Ying pursued through the back door to see five people standing in the snow in a circle. One shot fireworks into the night sky—white fireworks exploded in the snowy night, forming a white lotus.

Lu Ying said coldly, “Mission failed—you’re sending intelligence. To whom? Confess and I’ll spare your lives.”

That person laughed coldly. “The court killed two of our White Lotus Sect leaders, so we’ll kill the emperor’s son in revenge. Pity we lacked some luck.”

With that, the five recited together from White Lotus Sect scriptures: “The dharma realm is boundless, all gods and Buddhas descend to the ritual ground. Namo Incense Cloud Canopy Bodhisattva Mahasattva!”

Then with a thunderous roar, the five ignited explosives strapped to their bodies, blowing themselves up. Scattered limbs covered the ground like a red lotus blooming in the snow.

Seeing the scattered remains, Lu Ying roughly guessed who the white lotus firework was warning and quickly mounted her horse, galloping toward White Deer Temple.

Just after leaving Prince Yu’s mansion, she heard deafening rumbling from Fucheng Gate Street direction, with flames soaring skyward.

White Deer Temple had become a sea of fire. The Western City Military Commissioner’s patrol quickly woke sleeping residents to fight the fire.

When Lu Ying arrived, she heard neighbors discussing: “The Taoist temple’s alchemy furnace exploded. Wind fed the flames—poor Taoists, not one escaped.”

Still a step too late. They didn’t fail to escape—these death warriors chose to die protecting Prince Jing from implication.

Lu Ying recalled that on Qionghua Island, Prince Jing’s guards were utterly loyal, recklessly charging into hopeless situations like moths to flame despite knowing the unreasonableness.

Prince Jing’s people management skills were formidable—so many willing to give their lives for him.

The White Deer Temple explosion also awakened Lu Bing, who had just fallen asleep. Disregarding his physical discomfort, he rushed to White Deer Temple. Seeing his daughter among the fire-fighting spectators brought some relief, but approaching closer and seeing blood on Lu Ying’s clothes made him anxious again.

Lu Ying followed her father’s gaze. “It’s not my blood, Father. Something happened at Prince Yu’s mansion…”

Lu Ying had saved Prince Yu this time, achieving great merit, but couldn’t feel happy. “…The white lotus in Prince Yu’s mansion sky, the White Lotus Sect scriptures found when investigating Dr. Wei’s kidnapping, the stinking Taoists exploding in the alchemy room—now there’s truly no evidence left. Everything about Prince Yu’s mansion black specter troubles gets blamed on the White Lotus Sect. So many died, yet Prince Jing can still comfortably remain a prince in Hubei’s Anlu. Father, why is this world so unjust?”

Lu Bing handed his daughter a hand warmer. “This world was never just—it’s been unjust since birth.”

Lu Ying wearily boarded her father’s carriage. “Will Prince Jing always escape justice like this?”

“Our Lu family cannot get involved with either side in succession struggles,” Lu Bing said. “However, with White Deer Temple’s fire and Prince Yu’s mansion black specter incidents occurring consecutively, do you think Prince Yu is a fool? Prince Yu won’t believe the White Lotus Sect wanted to kill him. In future, the two princes will continue fighting, and many more will die.”

Lu Ying asked, “With such commotion, will His Majesty truly ignore it? Any clear-eyed person can see Prince Jing is problematic. Will His Majesty just watch Prince Jing kill Prince Yu? They’re his own flesh and blood!”

Having seven loving siblings in the Lu household, Lu Ying naturally couldn’t understand imperial family cruelty.

Lu Bing remained cautious. “Imperial family matters aren’t for outsiders to comment on. Let’s quietly observe how His Majesty handles this.”

Forbidden City, West Garden.

Emperor Jiajing received Lu Bing’s secret memorial. Lu Bing only reported factual evidence without speculation, but with White Deer Temple and Prince Yu’s mansion black specter incidents occurring consecutively, how could Emperor Jiajing not suspect Prince Jing far away in Hubei?

Reaching so far from a thousand li away—son, you truly have ability.

Emperor Jiajing immediately issued an oral decree: Since Prince Jing had gone to his Hubei fief, his mansion sat empty. Now Prince Yu’s mansion was dilapidated and needed major repairs, so Prince Yu’s household should temporarily move to Prince Jing’s mansion.

Additionally, Emperor Jiajing ordered Lu Bing to select two thousand strong soldiers from Beijing’s Twelve Guards as Prince Yu’s mansion guard unit. The guard expenses would come from Embroidered Uniform Guard accounts, not costing Prince Yu a penny.

**Author’s Note:** Prince Jing: What exactly did you do to make Father give you both housing and troops?

Prince Yu: I did nothing—I just ate hotpot with my beautiful wives and concubines, and the next day I was happily moving to a new home.