Lu Ying found it incredible. With only her and Wei Caiwei in the bedroom, she boldly reached out to pinch Shang Qinglan’s cheeks. “In less than a month, she’s gained about three jin.”

“Five jin and two liang.” Wei Caiwei said, “She was weighed on the first day of the imperial selection in Baoding Prefecture, and weighed again yesterday. Her body has rounded out a full circle, and she’s grown taller too. She’s only thirteen years old – her menstruation just started, and she’s in a growth spurt. She eats more than others and grows faster too.”

Lu Ying said, “No wonder I didn’t recognize her when she was lying drunk on the rock. She really likes playing with fire – sleeping on a stone where a slight roll would send her tumbling off a cliff. Eunuch Huang thought she was a palace maid, so he ordered people to carry her up.”

Wei Caiwei asked, “It was Eunuch Huang who ordered her carried up?” Not Emperor Jiajing?

Lu Ying was innocent and didn’t understand Emperor Jiajing’s intentions, saying, “Yes, His Majesty looked at her but said nothing. It was Eunuch Huang who gave the order.”

Huang Jin, that old fox, was best at guessing the Emperor’s thoughts. For a mere palace maid, at most he would order her sent down the mountain – why would he have her carried into Guanghan Palace instead?

What was destined to come had come early. Shang Qinglan was fated to become a favored consort.

Wei Caiwei said, “It’s good that I found her. I’ll go back and tell Wet Nurse Song so she won’t worry.”

Lu Ying said, “Since you’ve already come looking for her, I’ll send her down the mountain to return with the beautiful women candidates.”

Wei Caiwei thought: That’s completely unnecessary! A woman the Emperor has taken a liking to – you want to take away the cooked duck?

Wei Caiwei said, “Well… for just one beautiful woman candidate, there’s no need to mobilize troops. When she sobers up, she can walk down the mountain herself.”

Lu Ying said, “But that would delay her imperial selection. She’s reached the final stage – what a pity. Besides, I have other matters to handle. Wang Daxia caught a lecher spying on the beautiful women candidates at Penglai Pavilion – he’s still tied up there. I need to go arrest him and might as well send this beautiful woman candidate down the mountain. Perhaps she still has a chance.”

Wei Caiwei thought: She never needs to seize opportunities – opportunities always come to her. Even eating and drinking recklessly can successfully attract the old Emperor’s attention. She really doesn’t need your help!

But… a lecher? That person who interrupted my meeting with Wang Daxia was a lecher? To dare spy on beautiful women candidates – truly lustful beyond caring for his life!

Lu Ying was decisive and action-oriented. She immediately moved to wrap Shang Qinglan in bedding to carry her down the mountain.

“Wait a moment.” Wei Caiwei quickly found an excuse. “After all, it was Eunuch Huang who ordered her brought up. Since I came all this way to find her, I should at least inform him before taking her away.”

Lu Ying nodded, “You’re right. I’ll go—”

Before she finished speaking, Huang Jin hurried over upon hearing the news. He knew Lu Ying was innocent-minded and feared she might release the person!

Emperor Jiajing was currently talking with Wang Daxia and would likely come to see the beautiful sleeping maiden afterward.

Lu Ying said, “Old Sir, you’ve come at the perfect time. This person isn’t a palace maid but a beautiful woman candidate. I was just about to take her down.”

In the Daming court, it was customary to respectfully address powerful eunuchs as “Old Sir.”

Huang Jin nervously wiped his sweat: Thank goodness I came in time! If His Majesty comes over to find nothing, how would I explain?

His Majesty finally found someone to his liking.

At this point, Huang Jin couldn’t disguise the truth anymore and said, “Whether palace maid or beautiful woman candidate, if His Majesty has taken a liking to her, it’s her good fortune.”

Fourth Miss Lu, you’re stealing someone’s beloved!

Hearing this, Lu Ying immediately fell silent, bowed to Huang Jin, and left with Wei Caiwei.

After going outside, Lu Ying said to Wei Caiwei, “His Majesty truly said nothing at the time – I didn’t pick up on it.”

Wei Caiwei asked, “What did His Majesty do?”

Lu Ying thought for a moment: “A gust of wind blew flower petals onto Shang Qinglan’s face, and His Majesty casually brushed the petals away.”

“That’s it right there.” Wei Caiwei blinked. “If Wang Daxia wanted to brush away petals that fell on your face, would you think that was normal?”

Lu Ying immediately blurted out, “How dare he!”

Putting herself in those shoes, as soon as the words left her mouth, Lu Ying understood that the Emperor’s gesture was indeed intimate.

When Wei Caiwei arrived at Guanghan Palace, Wang Daxia was having an audience with the Emperor. Fearless as a newborn calf, he was vividly describing the scene of raiding the Red Sleeves Invitation at Jishui Lake to Emperor Jiajing:

“…At Commander Lu’s command, this humble minister threw tiger claws to climb onto the roof for a top-down attack. Just as I was about to act, Lord Lu arrived on his blood-sweating horse, firing shots into the sky. Our Lord Lu and Commander Lu fought as father and son soldiers. Hearing the gunshots, Commander Lu immediately understood there was an ambush inside and ordered us to retreat quickly.”

“This humble minister serves under Commander Lu. Though I didn’t understand why Commander Lu wanted to abort the mission, when Commander Lu gives orders, even if it means going through fire and water, this humble minister would not hesitate! So I led people to jump into the lake. With a thunderous roar, that two-story building exploded!”

“The scene was filled with billowing smoke and flying sparks. Fortunately, Commander Lu reacted quickly and ordered us to retreat fast. If we had been a step slower, this humble minister would have been blown to pieces.”

A firsthand account was certainly more vivid than a dry memorial. Emperor Jiajing had only seen in the secret report that no Imperial Guards died, with nine minor injuries – this was a great victory. But hearing Wang Daxia’s detailed account, it was truly thrilling and life-threatening.

Emperor Jiajing cared about Lu Ying’s lifelong happiness. Wang Daxia was indeed handsome and talented, both intelligent and brave. He wasn’t intimidated and could still chat and laugh casually in front of the Emperor – no wonder both Lu Bing and Lu Ying looked favorably upon him.

However, from Wang Daxia’s words, he seemed to still not know that “Mulan is a maiden”?

Wang Daxia didn’t dare consider himself a hero, knowing Emperor Jiajing favored Lord Lu and his son. He emphasized Lu Bing’s dramatic nighttime ride to turn the tide and how Lu Ying shared such understanding with her father – a moving father-son bond.

But could he see through an old emperor’s heart? No matter how Wang Daxia spoke, Emperor Jiajing’s expression remained unchanged.

After Wang Daxia finished, Emperor Jiajing said, “The Imperial Guard is full of talented individuals. I am greatly comforted.”

Wang Daxia quickly said, “It’s all thanks to Lord Lu and Commander Lu’s cultivation.”

Emperor Jiajing thought: Given Wang Daxia’s background, being able to attach himself to Lu Ying meant he was living off a woman. Yet even while living off a woman, he constantly reminded himself who gave him this rice bowl – he didn’t forget his benefactors. He didn’t seem like an ungrateful person, knowing who helped him. His attitude toward living off a woman was proper – Lu Bing’s judgment was good.

He didn’t know when Lu Bing would reveal Lu Ying’s true gender.

In Emperor Jiajing’s view, once Lu Bing spoke up, Wang Daxia could only be grateful and marry Lu Ying – there was no other possible reaction.

Whether Lu Bing was satisfied with Wang Daxia was unknown, but Emperor Jiajing thought Wang Daxia was acceptable. He said, “You are a young talent of this generation’s Imperial Guard, successful at a young age. However, having joined for only a short time, you still need tempering. Don’t be arrogant or impatient – you will surely achieve great things in the future.”

Don’t disappoint your sworn brother’s trust in you!

If you ever fail Sakura, I will kill you.

Wang Daxia was completely unaware of the warning in Emperor Jiajing’s words, thinking the Emperor was praising him. He quickly said, “This humble minister will remember Your Majesty’s teachings and sacrifice life and limb for our great Daming (rise in rank and get rich).”

Emperor Jiajing bestowed upon Wang Daxia a set of flying fish robes, a suit of armor, two bolts of cloth, and a sword.

Wang Daxia kowtowed in thanks and left happily with his rewards.

Just outside the main hall, Wu Xiaoqi approached. “Captain Wang, just now Doctor Wei came to Guanghan Palace…”

Wu Xiaoqi explained what happened. “…Doctor Wei went down the mountain with Commander Lu to catch the lecher. They shouldn’t have gone far – Captain Wang can still catch up.”

Hearing this, Wang Daxia immediately gave chase, catching up with them at the rock where Shang Qinglan had been lying drunk. He couldn’t miss any opportunity to be with Wei Caiwei, even if they would separate as soon as they went down the mountain.

At Guanghan Palace, Emperor Jiajing, having developed feelings, came to see the drunken beauty. Shang Qinglan was still in her alcoholic stupor. Emperor Jiajing maintained his dignity – though he very much wanted to taste this unripe fruit, he wouldn’t take advantage of someone’s vulnerability by stealing a taste while the drunken beauty was completely unconscious.

Emperor Jiajing looked at the charmingly naive drunken beauty and picked up his brush to casually write Su Dongpo’s poem “Begonia”:

“The east wind gently stirs the sublime light, fragrant mist hazy as moonlight turns through corridors. Only fearing the deep night when flowers sleep, so high candles are lit to illuminate the red makeup.”

The fifty-three-year-old Emperor Jiajing’s body had long been inadequate. He hadn’t summoned any imperial consorts from the harem to the West Garden for over a month. Even when he occasionally summoned Noble Consort Lu Jing and other consorts, most of the time he just asked about their children’s recent situations without any intimate relations on the dragon bed – purely conversation.

But today, perhaps because of the elixir he took this morning, Emperor Jiajing felt heat in his body. When writing the line “so high candles are lit to illuminate the red makeup,” the old candle that hadn’t responded for so long actually lit up!

Sigh, when will this drunken begonia awaken?

Just as Emperor Jiajing, this old pear blossom, pondered how to overwhelm the tender begonia on the dragon bed, at the eastern Chrysanthemum Garden, the chrysanthemum banquet was nearing its end and about to disperse. Li Jiubao had been waiting for Wei Caiwei and Shang Qinglan’s return. Being young, she showed signs of anxiety.

Noble Consort Lu Jing had already considered her the future mother of her grandson, so she had been watching her closely. Seeing her tense expression, she called her over and asked, “What’s wrong with you? What has you so flustered?”

To speak would harm Shang Qinglan.

Not to speak – how to explain to Noble Consort Lu Jing?

Wet Nurse Song saw her difficulty and stepped forward to help: “In response to Your Highness Noble Consort, it’s—”

“Your Highness, Imperial Guard Commander Lu requests an audience.” A eunuch hurriedly ran over, interrupting Wet Nurse Song.

Lu Bing’s daughter was naturally more important than an old wet nurse. Noble Consort Lu Jing said, “Grant audience.”

The eunuch quickly led Wet Nurse Song and Li Jiubao away.

Lu Ying and Wei Caiwei walked over one after the other. Seeing an outside man, the beautiful women candidates lowered their heads or covered their faces with silk fans. Only Li Jiubao saw Wei Caiwei behind Lu Ying and looked relieved – finally back!

But Wei Caiwei passed by without Shang Qinglan appearing. Li Jiubao’s heart that had just settled rose again.

Even Wet Nurse Song couldn’t sit still: “Doctor Wei has returned, so why is there still no sign of Shang Qinglan? That little ancestor didn’t cause trouble, did she?”

Lu Ying bowed to Noble Consort Lu Jing, who smiled in response: “Commander Lu, please sit and speak. Today’s chrysanthemum wine is excellent – pour Commander Lu a cup.”

Lu Ying sat down and politely declined: “Thank you for the wine, Your Highness, but I still have duties to attend to and cannot drink now. I’ll accept Your Highness’s wine another day. Your Highness, I’ve come to relay a message from Eunuch Huang: the beautiful woman candidate Shang Qinglan is already attending His Majesty. Your Highness Noble Consort need not wait for her return.”

What? His Majesty took a liking to that foolish girl who only knows how to eat and drink? I was planning to foist her off on that thorn in my side Prince Yu!

Noble Consort Lu Jing was shocked: “His Majesty… is on Qionghua Island?”

Lu Ying said, “As I protect the imperial presence, I cannot speak directly of His Majesty’s whereabouts. Your Highness, I have delivered the message. I take my leave.”

Now not only was Noble Consort Lu Jing speechless, the entire chrysanthemum banquet fell silent. Hearing that Shang Qinglan was already attending the Emperor, all the beautiful women candidates turned to stone. It was too incredible – that girl with no talents who only knew how to “punish herself with three cups” had gotten ahead of everyone else and slept with the Emperor! A sparrow had become a phoenix!

Wet Nurse Song looked at the sun: Did the sun rise from the west today?

Li Jiubao: Qinglan can’t go home to show off to all the neighbors in her hometown now.

After explaining Shang Qinglan’s whereabouts, Lu Ying immediately led Wang Daxia and others to Penglai Pavilion to arrest the lecher.

Entering the pavilion, the lecher was still there and had awakened, but was covered in dust with specks of bloodstains – dust and fresh blood mixed in dirty smears across his face.

It turned out that after Prince Jing regained consciousness, he found his hands and feet bound, unable to move, with his mouth gagged, unable to call for help.

Fortunately, there were broken glass pieces from the shattered telescope on the ground. Prince Jing endured the pain and rolled to where the glass shards lay, getting several pieces embedded in his body, his face covered in a layer of dust, becoming a gray prince.

Using his only movable ten fingers, he picked up a larger glass shard and slowly ground the belt binding his wrists.

However, what seemed simple in theory proved difficult in practice.

Because Wang Daxia had tied him too tightly, Prince Jing’s fingers were numb. Using all his strength to pick up the glass shard, he couldn’t grind effectively. After grinding with great effort a few times, his ten fingers lost strength and the glass piece fell.

Prince Jing tried several times but couldn’t hold the glass shard steadily. He decided to risk everything – sitting up, he clamped the glass piece between his feet, then brought the belt on his wrists to the glass piece between his feet to grind.

This time his feet didn’t need to move, just hold the glass piece steady while only his wrists moved up and down – somewhat easier than the previous method.

However, the glass piece occasionally slipped and cut his feet. As Prince Jing cut, his feet bled. When had a favored prince ever suffered such hardship?

Prince Jing was in such pain that tears and snot streamed out, mixing with the dust and bloodstains on his face, making him look even less human.

Prince Jing finally endured the pain and cut through the belt on his wrists. With his hands free, the first thing he wanted to do was remove the cloth blocking his mouth and call loudly for help.

But man’s plans don’t match heaven’s will. Just then, Lu Ying arrived with her people. Wang Daxia saw the lecher had struggled free of his hand bindings and immediately flew over, delivering a fierce flying kick that knocked the lecher to the ground: “Lecher! Don’t think of escaping!”

Wang Daxia used his knee to press down on the lecher’s back, pulled his arms behind him, picked up the belt, and retied his hands. Then he lifted the lecher up: “Since you’re awake, walk yourself.”

Prince Jing saw Lu Ying and immediately started groaning urgently. He had known Lu Ying since childhood – this unfamiliar Imperial Guard didn’t recognize him, but Lu Ying certainly would!

But Lu Ying was already somewhat face-blind – when Shang Qinglan gained five jin and washed off her bridal makeup, Lu Ying couldn’t recognize her lying drunk on the rock. How much less could she recognize Prince Jing with his face covered in dust, bloodstains, and sticky snot, completely disfigured and gagged?

Moreover, the clever Wang Daxia, worried the lecher might escape, had removed his pants and shoes and hidden them elsewhere so even if the lecher ran, he couldn’t get far. Prince Jing now wore only his robe with nothing on his lower body. Lu Ying was a woman – how could she keep staring at a man without pants to examine him closely?

So Lu Ying waved her hand: “Take the lecher away! Lock him in the dungeon for harsh interrogation.”

Author’s Note: Emperor Jiajing: It’s heartbeat, oh no, can’t avoid those eyes, inexplicable heart palpitations for you~

Good morning everyone, comments have been a bit sparse lately – not enough to read! Early morning fat update delivered, begging for comments.