Lu Ying and the others followed Wu Xiaoqi’s gaze and saw a fair-complexioned, bearded, refined middle-aged man who looked like a scholar walking into the inn, wearing tortoiseshell-framed glasses. He was followed by dozens of strong men carrying the banner of Santong Escort Agency.

Santong Escort Agency was the largest escort agency in Central Plains.

Wang Daxia questioned, “He looks completely ordinary, just a regular passerby, and his eyes are even presbyopic. Are you sure he’s the legendary charming and elegant Luo Longwen with his silver tongue, who gained the trust of famous courtesans and mediated among pirates, stirring up internal strife – the renowned anti-Japanese scholar? They say madams love money and girls love handsome men. With his appearance, it doesn’t seem likely.”

Even Lu Ying and Wei Caiwei felt it didn’t match. They also thought Luo Longwen should be at least half as handsome as Wang Daxia.

This made Wu Xiaoqi anxious. “It really is him, no mistake about it. He’s aged terribly these past few years, grew a beard, and put on glasses, so his appearance changed. But I absolutely wouldn’t be wrong – I’ve been watching Yan Shifan’s retainers all along.”

You couldn’t blame Wang Daxia and the others for judging by appearance – Luo Longwen was simply too famous.

Besides raising death warriors, Yan Shifan also had many retainers skilled in other special techniques. Luo Longwen excelled at making ink, and even Emperor Jiajing greatly admired his ink. However, what made him “famous” and elevated him to Yan Shifan’s top retainer was because of a woman – Wang Cuiqiao.

Wang Cuiqiao came from a scholarly family, descendants of eunuch households. After her family’s decline, she was reduced to being raised as a “thin horse” by brothels, later becoming a famous courtesan in Jiangnan due to her talent and beauty. When the greatest pirate leader Xu Hai broke through a county town, he captured her and made her his wife. Wang Cuiqiao was skilled in writing, and all of Xu Hai’s correspondence was written by his wife.

Xu Hai commanded both real and fake Japanese pirates with forces exceeding one hundred thousand, often defeating anti-Japanese general Hu Zongxian badly, who could only resort to clever tactics. Coincidentally, Luo Longwen and Xu Hai were from the same hometown, and Luo Longwen was fluent in Japanese, so he was sent to negotiate.

Luo Longwen was a master ink maker who knew Wang Cuiqiao appreciated elegance, so he catered to her interests, presenting her with ink and persuading Wang Cuiqiao to whisper in Xu Hai’s ear about accepting imperial amnesty. In the future, Xu Hai would receive an official title, and she would become a titled lady.

Wang Cuiqiao was originally an official’s daughter who had been forced into the pleasure quarters and became a pirate’s wife against her will. The prospect of taking the righteous path, reforming, and becoming a titled lady held fatal attraction for her, so she began blowing strong pillow winds.

Just then, Xu Hai and his subordinate real Japanese pirates led by Maye had unequal distribution of spoils, creating conflicts. Xu Hai killed Maye and other real Japanese pirates, presenting them to Hu Zongxian as a pledge of allegiance, showing he had reformed and accepted amnesty.

Seeing the pirate group Xu Hai led killing each other and their strength weakened, Hu Zongxian struck back immediately and fought with Xu Hai. Ultimately, Xu Hai was defeated and committed suicide, and Wang Cuiqiao, utterly despairing, jumped into the sea to die for love.

Compared to bloody warfare, people preferred spreading love stories, especially tragic love stories of beautiful, miserable, and strong characters. Actually, Xu Hai had more women than just Wang Cuiqiao, and he had also competed with real Japanese pirates over another woman. But in oral transmission, people made the story of Xu Hai and Wang Cuiqiao more and more perfect, making them each other’s one and only, while Luo Longwen, who had contributed to anti-Japanese efforts, became a universally despised villain.

Now, five years had passed since Wang Cuiqiao’s suicide by drowning. Luo Longwen, fearing pursuit by remaining Japanese pirates, had gone to Beijing to seek refuge with Yan Shifan, living five years of peaceful days.

When Yan Shifan planned ahead for his family by creating an escape route, no one understood the coastal environment better than Luo Longwen, making him the most suitable choice. Fearing recognition by old acquaintances, Luo Longwen deliberately grew a beard. Actually, his eyes weren’t presbyopic – he wore glasses to change his appearance and temperament. The crystal-ground lenses were actually flat.

Additionally, he hired Santong Escort Agency to protect the capital Yan Shifan had given him, making thorough preparations before departure.

All inn stays required real-name registration. Luo Longwen walked to the inn counter and produced his household registration and travel permit. “Zhang Shan, antique merchant.”

Lu Ying and the others exchanged glances. Seeing that no one believed him, Wu Xiaoqi went outside to examine the goods protected by Santong Escort Agency.

The carts were surrounded by layers of escort guards. However, Linqing’s ice and snow had begun melting, making roads muddy. Wu Xiaoqi looked at the two wheel tracks deeply sunk in mud and ran back to tell Lu Ying, “Their cart is loaded with very heavy stuff – the wheel tracks are half again as deep as ours. How could it be antiques they’re selling?”

Lu Ying said, “Go to the customs office and inquire how this antique merchant named Zhang Shan passed customs inspection and how much tax he paid.”

Linqing was one of the most important cities on the Grand Canal connecting north and south in Great Ming. Any commercial vessels traveling to or from Beijing by waterway had to pass through Linqing’s customs and pay taxes, making Linqing the foremost of the eight major customs offices. Its annual tax revenue was seven times that of the two major customs offices of Hangzhou and Yangzhou combined.

When Lu Ying passed through customs this time, she had paid over thirty taels in customs duties.

Wu Xiaoqi departed on his mission. At this moment, someone came down from upstairs, immediately catching Wei Caiwei’s attention – it was Ding Wu!

After their long separation and reunion, Wei Caiwei gripped the table leg tightly to avoid impulsively running to meet him.

Ding Wu wasn’t alone. Behind him was a middle-aged man, presumably a trusted aide of Sect Leader Zhao Quan.

The two walked to the counter, and Ding Wu asked the innkeeper, “Can the boats really sail tomorrow? We’ve been waiting several days.”

The ice in the middle of the Linqing section of the Grand Canal had melted, but both banks still had ice as thick as bricks, with large merchant ships frozen in the ice, unable to move.

The innkeeper said, “It’s been sunny for days, so it should be about ready. If not, the customs people will fire cannons at the ice surface. As long as the boats can move, and further south it gets warmer, it’ll all be water.”

Ding Wu seemed relieved, and the two sat down to eat. Then, like colorful butterflies, a group of rouge-and-powder women arrived to solicit business.

Linqing was Great Ming’s premier customs office, frequented by wealthy merchants, so the entertainment industry flourished, rivaling Nanjing’s Qinhuai River. It was called “thirty-two flower and willow alleys, seventy-two music halls.”

The Xie Family Wine House where Ding Wu and the others were staying was Linqing customs’ largest wine house, with over one hundred private rooms and pavilions upstairs and downstairs. The building was painted bright vermillion red, with windows painted bright green. Opening the windows revealed the Grand Canal like a white silk ribbon winding through layered mountains, with large merchant ships lining both banks as far as the eye could see.

In winter, with ice and snow blocking the river, there were fewer traveling merchants and business was poor, so these brothel women came to Xie Family Wine House to solicit customers.

These girls were dressed up elaborately and were quite attractive, but with so many seeking so few customers, they needed to use some tactics to compete for clients.

Lu Ying was the most handsome-looking, appeared wealthy, and seemed romantically inclined, quickly becoming prey for the girls. Seeing she was about to be surrounded by these flower butterflies, Lu Ying had her own strategy. She calmly poured a cup of wine and said to Wang Daxia beside her, “Sworn brother, drink this cup fully.”

Wang Daxia was stunned. Lu Ying had already placed the wine cup at his lips, very intimately.

Wang Daxia suddenly realized Lu Ying was choosing to harass him to avoid harassment from the brothel women.

Wang Daxia drained the wine cup while Lu Ying held it, drinking it clean.

Watching this with peripheral vision, Ding Wu and Wei Caiwei could hardly bear to look. Ding Wu stroked his chin while Wei Caiwei covered her forehead.

The girls were all veterans of many battles and immediately understood Lu Ying had special preferences and couldn’t be touched. They whispered among themselves, “Hmph, another one who sells his ass,” and “Business is already slow, and now men are competing with us for customers.”

The girls settled for second choice and rushed toward Ding Wu.

Ding Wu was already familiar with such scenes, laughing heartily while cupping his hands to the girls, “Sorry, sisters, I have a tigress at home. If the tigress discovered this, she’d probably storm into the flower house and scratch the pretty faces of you flower sisters, which wouldn’t look good.”

Ding Wu pointed to his companion, “But this flower brother of mine wants to chat with you sisters about romance.”

This person was short and stocky, wearing a leather coat, with a large gold thumb ring like a mahjong tile, looking like a nouveau riche. The girls swarmed over him, praising this flower brother who was just a chair leg’s height away from being Wu Dalang reincarnated, turning him into a flower with their compliments.

The flower brother selected two girls with large breasts, soft bodies, slender waists, and sweet voices to go upstairs.

Xie Family Wine House was full of wine, women, and song, but only Wei Caiwei, disguised as a traveling doctor, was ignored. The wine house was full of wealthy merchants and tycoons, while she dressed plainly with only a bowl of rice, a dish of five-spice black beans for accompaniment, and a bowl of yam meatballs on her table, not even wine.

Looking so poor, the girls ignored her – everyone needed to make a living.

Wei Caiwei mixed the black beans into her rice, eating with her head down. The liveliness belonged to others; she only found it noisy.

The flower brother had already been sent upstairs to gentle embraces. Ding Wu walked over and sat across from Wei Caiwei. “Doctor, how much to check a pulse?”

Wei Caiwei put down her rice bowl. “Twenty wen, medicine and treatment cost extra.” Her face was calm, but her heart surged with emotion. A breath rose upward, choking the rice in her throat. She quickly poured a cup of tea to wash it down.

This cup of tea betrayed her excitement. Facing the sworn brother she’d grown up with, she couldn’t remain calm and composed.

Ding Wu counted out twenty wen and placed his wrist on the dining table.

Wei Caiwei pressed firmly on Ding Wu’s hand. As a doctor, her pulse was faster than her “patient’s.” Their eyes met, showing only concern – they could never look enough.

Wei Caiwei missed Ding Wu, and how could Ding Wu not miss her? They had lived together in Tieling for ten years like real siblings. When he learned someone had disguised as White Lotus Sect members to kidnap sister Banxia on the street, he wanted to return to Beijing immediately.

Now seeing both were well, they were overwhelmed with emotion for a moment. The surrounding liveliness seemed to disappear, leaving only each other.

This pulse-taking was lasting rather long. Under everyone’s gaze, Lu Ying pulled Wang Daxia over. “Doctor, my sworn brother has been feeling unwell lately. Please examine him.”

Wang Daxia had long been displeased seeing Wei Caiwei holding Ding Wu’s hand and not letting go. He immediately rolled up his sleeves, exposing his white arms, and laid them across the dining table. “My turn.”

Wei Caiwei said expressionlessly, “Medical treatment also follows first come, first served.”

Wang Daxia produced a silver ingot. “Is this enough to cut in line?”

Wei Caiwei wanted to find an opportunity for acupuncture and cupping to go to a room with Ding Wu to talk privately. Seeing Wang Daxia insisting on disrupting things, she was quite annoyed. She accepted the silver, took his pulse, and after a short while, released his hand and loudly announced, “Congratulations, madam! Felicitations, madam! You’re with child!”

Author’s Note: Cross-dressing only happens once, then countless times.

Note 1: From “The Golden Lotus” Chapter 92. The Golden Lotus is set in the late Jiajing period, same as this novel, so all descriptions of Linqing in this text come from The Golden Lotus, where the stories of Ximen Qing and Pan Jinlian took place. Xie Family Wine House was also the largest wine house in Linqing County in The Golden Lotus. Ximen Qing’s son-in-law Chen Jingji was the wine house’s largest shareholder.