The rent only increased by one kiss—such a fair price. When you meet such a good landlord, just renew the lease.
Initially, Wang Daxia was reluctant to accept the fifty taels of rent, but Wei Caiwei said: “When we marry in the future, I don’t want to live with your father and younger brother-in-law. Have you saved enough money to buy a house and establish our own household after marriage?”
Far from enough. Wang Daxia fell silent and quietly accepted the rent.
When Wang Daxia returned home, having been missing for half a year, Wang Qianhu had almost thought he’d died outside. Seeing his eldest son return, he was both angry and overjoyed. For once, he miraculously restrained himself from scolding him about where he’d been dead for the past six months, instead telling him to go to the ancestral hall to offer incense to his birth mother and ancestors.
Mu Zhihui was on duty at the Northern City Military Commissioner’s office tonight. Hearing that Wang Daxia had returned, he immediately had subordinates cover his shift and rushed to the Wang family. Upon meeting, he embraced Wang Daxia tightly: “Child, after six months away, you’ve grown taller than me.”
Only after embracing enough did Mu Zhihui release him, looking him up and down. “And more handsome than before. Wang Qianhu, I told you this child would amount to something and stand out from the crowd.”
Wang Qianhu habitually demurred: “Not really, just his face is passable.”
Comparing people could anger one to death. From Wang Qianhu and Mu Zhihui’s reactions, it seemed like Mu Zhihui was his real father, and Wang Qianhu was just a malicious stepmother!
Wang Daxia was secretly annoyed but said heartlessly: “Father guessed correctly. This time working outside, I relied mainly on this face—earning merit through looks, making a living through appearance.”
All the way cross-dressing as a woman and seducing the Ming King, with the baby in his belly having three fathers—if he’d looked ordinary, he couldn’t have pulled off such things.
Now it was Wang Qianhu’s turn to be annoyed: “You—”
“The child hasn’t been home for half a year, why are we still standing here talking? Let’s go drink tea.” Mu Zhihui skillfully rushed out to mediate, pulling father and son left and right out of the ancestral hall.
The three sat under a cool grape arbor drinking tea. Wang Qianhu asked: “Where have you been these six months?”
“Well…” Wang Daxia was somewhat embarrassed. “Anyway, it was official business—I wasn’t out there carousing and having fun.”
Wang Qianhu pointed next door: “When you Embroidered Uniform Guards do business, why did Doctor Wei also disappear for six months?”
Honestly, Wang Qianhu had hoped daily for his son’s return without success, even fantasizing whether his son had eloped with the little widow next door! Otherwise, how could they both disappear so coincidentally!
Wang Daxia irritably set down his teacup: “Don’t drag Doctor Wei into everything. If I could explain, I would have long ago. I’m not in the mood to play riddles with Father. We really went out on legitimate business—Commander Lu can testify.”
Mu Zhihui quickly expressed understanding: “When ministers aren’t discreet, they lose their positions. If you can’t say, don’t say. The Embroidered Uniform Guards are different from street patrollers like us—they’re always dealing with secrets. Wang Qianhu, stop pressing the child.”
Wang Qianhu said: “I’m not trying to get to the bottom of everything. It’s just that recently, the Five Military Commissions suddenly wants to reinstate me. Currently, I’m awaiting appointment—they say it’ll be soon. I find it strange. Since being dismissed, I’ve stayed home raising children, neither spending money nor pulling connections. How could such a windfall happen? I had someone inquire at the Five Military Commissions, and they just said to go home and ask your son.”
“It seems my reinstatement is thanks to you, presumably related to your disappearance these past six months. I’m just asking what you did.”
They say mothers gain status through noble sons; now Wang Qianhu was gaining status through his noble son.
Wang Daxia couldn’t speak plainly. Neither the White Lotus Sect nor framing Yan Shifan for collaborating with pirates could be revealed to his father. The more he knew, the more trouble it would cause. He said:
“Last year Father lost his position because I offended Yan Shifan. Now that the Yan family has fallen, naturally they’re settling accounts with a group of people, clearing out positions to promote wronged officials as compensation.”
Wang Qianhu said: “But my lax family discipline and lending money at interest last year were facts, not wrongs. There are countless people ruined by Yan Shifan’s persecution—my fate was relatively good. Why specifically reinstate me?”
Wang Qianhu was self-aware. He was a nearly fifty-year-old military officer whose strength and martial skills were declining. Unlike civil officials who could work into their seventies and eighties, he could no longer pull all-nighters. What could he do?
Wang Daxia spoke vaguely: “Isn’t having an official position good? Are you content to stay home raising your brother forever? I’m doing well in the Embroidered Uniform Guard now. I’ll earn my own official positions and titles in the future. I don’t want the family title—give it to Daqiu.”
Wang Daxia felt that when he married Wei Caiwei in the future, his stubborn father might not agree. Regardless of whether the family agreed, he would marry her and move out to live independently. He didn’t want the big family controlling the small family—it was better to avoid financial entanglements. If he relied on family, he’d have to obey family.
Only by earning titles and money himself could he stand tall and have the right to act independently.
Wang Qianhu was annoyed: “Do I need you to teach me how to behave? What’s yours is yours—your brother won’t compete with you. Why say such contrary things to test me?”
Wang Daxia could no longer contain himself: “When I say I don’t want it, I don’t want it. If Father doesn’t believe me, I’ll write a document renouncing family property and title right now.”
Seeing father and son about to argue again, Mu Zhihui quickly pulled Wang Daxia out: “You’re tired from traveling. Go wash up and sleep.”
Wang Daxia returned to his room and took out his accumulated silver and land deeds to examine them. The fields couldn’t be sold—they’d be needed for future living. The silver was only enough to buy an ordinary civilian residence, which would be too unfair to Wei Caiwei.
Money for a wife was truly hard to earn.
The next day, the War Ministry’s transfer order arrived. Wang Qianhu received an external appointment as Deputy Regional Commander at the Jiangxi Regional Military Commission.
This was two levels higher than his previous position. Though it was an external appointment away from the capital, for Wang Qianhu it was a tremendous opportunity. He hurriedly prepared luggage and took his younger son Wang Daqiu along to the new post.
Unexpectedly, just after returning home, his father was getting an external appointment. Wang Daxia forgot his recent unpleasantness with his father and specially requested a day off to see his father and brother off to Tongzhou port to board their boat.
Embroidered Uniform Guard Commander Zhu Xixiao called him over, saying: “Do you know why your father was reinstated so quickly?”
Wang Daxia said: “Because I performed great merit on this Jiangnan trip.”
Zhu Xixiao hadn’t expected Wang Daxia to be so self-congratulatory, taking credit and being overconfident. Choking slightly, he said: “You risked your life for great merit, so naturally you benefit—you’ll be promoted to Thousand Household next month. It was Li Yiren who told my elder brother that your father is talented and only lost his position due to his deceased wife’s influence. Since the Five Military Commissions had several vacancies, my elder brother transferred him to Jiangxi.”
All of Daming’s guard units were under Five Military Commissions jurisdiction.
Only then did Wang Daxia understand what had happened: It wasn’t his influence at all! Li Yiren regarded his father as a future in-law and spoke to her in-law Li Xizhong, allowing his father’s quick reinstatement!
Li Xizhong was an old-established noble, the Duke of Chengguo, who controlled the Five Military Commissions and was Miss Lu’s father-in-law. So his father’s reinstatement relied on nepotism! Having power and influence made all the difference—with casual conversation, they decided an ordinary military officer’s career path. Life or death depended on others’ words.
Wang Daxia sighed with deep emotion. Li Xixiao said: “Your father has a straightforward personality, so I won’t beat around the bush. Go back and tell your father that his most important task in Jiangxi is ensuring the Jiangxi Regional Military Commission obeys the Five Military Commissions, not being controlled by local powers. He should carefully cultivate his own people. Additionally, monitor the movements of the Yan father and son.”
Wang Daxia said: “I understand.”
A centipede dies but doesn’t stiffen completely. Though the Yan faction was overthrown, its influence remained, especially in the Yan family’s hometown where their power was deeply entrenched. When Emperor Jiajing banished them to their ancestral home, he worried about releasing tigers back to the mountains and didn’t ignore them completely.
Since monitoring Yan Song and Yan Shifan required someone with grievances against them who couldn’t be controlled by them, Wang Qianhu—whose position Yan Shifan had eliminated and whose son Yan Shifan had threatened—was perfectly suited for Jiangxi.
Indeed, this old emperor who hadn’t held court for thirty years yet maintained firm control wasn’t an ordinary incompetent ruler. He was extremely clever.
When Wang Daxia returned home, Wei Caiwei was actually at his house!
Wei Caiwei had come to see them off. She gave Wang Qianhu a box of pills: “Hearing that Wang Qianhu has been promoted and is going to Jiangxi—I’ve heard it’s humid with miasma, and infested with insects, snakes, rats, and ants—so I hastily prepared some medicines. There are insect and snake repellents, external applications, ones to hold in your mouth to avoid miasma, and skin applications to prevent mosquito bites. They’re all labeled, and here are all the medicine formulas. When they’re used up, you can obtain and prepare the ingredients yourself.”
Wei Caiwei also hung a fragrant pouch around Wang Daqiu’s neck: “Wear this on your body and don’t throw it away carelessly, or insects and snakes will bite your nose.”
Wang Daqiu fearfully covered his entire face with his chubby little hands.
This was truly timely help. Wang Qianhu naturally thanked her profusely.
Wei Caiwei said: “In Jiangxi, you’re unfamiliar with the people and place—Wang Qianhu must be careful in everything.” Having memories from her previous life, she knew the suspicious Emperor Jiajing suspected everything, including the Yan father and son returning to their ancestral home.
The difference was that in her previous life, Emperor Jiajing had Wang Daxia’s Eastern Depot secretly send people to Jiangxi for surveillance. Now it was Wang Qianhu, who had escaped disaster, going to Jiangxi to shoulder this responsibility. The Yan father and son’s influence in their hometown wasn’t to be underestimated—they would be difficult to handle.
Therefore, Wei Caiwei would do everything in her power to help Wang Qianhu.
Wang Daxia escorted Wei Caiwei home—actually just across a wall.
After closing the courtyard gate, Wang Daxia became improper, pinching her hand and joking: “The wife hasn’t crossed the threshold, but medicine has entered first—so impatient! Also, you gave Wang Daqiu a fragrant pouch—I want one too. I’m also afraid of mosquito bites.”
“Give me fifty wen first.” Wei Caiwei said: “The court sending your father to Jiangxi—the drinker’s heart isn’t in the wine, but in the Yan father and son. Remind your father that the two old foxes of the Yan family are very difficult to deal with. Don’t be careless. With any disturbance, he must secretly memorialize to Five Military Commissions Grand Commander Zhu Xizhong.”
Wang Daxia was greatly surprised: “How do you know? Commander Zhu told me, and only then did I understand the reason. I thought the War Ministry reinstated my father out of respect for me.”
“I am…” Wei Caiwei found an excuse: “When we disembarked that day, we happened to encounter the Yan father and son boarding the boat back to their Jiangxi hometown, so I paid attention. When your father was posted to Jiangxi, I thought of this connection.”
With beauty before him, Wang Daxia was befuddled by desire and didn’t suspect further. He embraced Wei Caiwei: “My wife is the world’s smartest person. A casual guess hit the mark.”
He whispered in her ear: “Guess what I want to do now?”
With such skills, you want to tease me? Wei Caiwei said: “You want to strip off my clothes, not even leaving socks, push me down on the bamboo couch under the grape arbor, use the socks to tie my legs to…”
After less than a hundred words, Wang Daxia’s face flushed red and he fled in panic. Too scary!
Wei Caiwei lay on the bamboo bed under the grape arbor enjoying the cool air. Sigh, things I did with practiced ease in my previous life—in this life I can’t even listen to them. It seems I’ll have to teach him from the beginning. How exhausting.
Author’s Note: Wang Daxia riding a bicycle with training wheels and Wei Caiwei driving a high-speed train—completely different levels.
Next chapter will fast-forward the timeline significantly, so everyone should be mentally prepared.