Wei Caiwei hadn’t expected that before she could return her husband to his pre-castration state, she would publicly announce that her husband was expecting.
This “palace” (gong) suddenly became the “uterus” palace (gong).
The noisy Xie Family Wine House suddenly fell silent. All eyes in the hall focused on Wang Daxia, especially on his belly, exchanging knowing glances: No wonder this young man had such rosy lips and white teeth, with features more beautiful than the courtesans who had just provided treatment. He was actually a woman disguised as a man, accompanying her husband on business trips for convenience. To deceive people, the husband called his cross-dressing wife his “sworn brother.”
Since things had reached an irreversible point, Lu Ying, the newly expectant father, had no choice but to go along with it, excitedly grasping Wang Daxia’s hand. “I’m going to be a father? Oh my, I shouldn’t have given you wine just now. Doctor, will it harm the fetus?”
Wang Daxia was devastated: Who am I? Where am I? How did I become pregnant? I’m clearly not even married! Wait, even if I were married, I couldn’t be the one who’s pregnant!
Wei Caiwei pretended to take his pulse again. “No problem, madam is in excellent health. Just don’t drink alcohol anymore.”
Then she turned to Ding Wu and said, “Have you been experiencing frequent lower back pain lately?”
Ding Wu nodded. “Exactly.”
Wei Caiwei held up her palm. “Give me fifty wen, and I’ll give you acupuncture and cupping to unblock your meridians. The effect will be immediate. Will you take the treatment?”
Ding Wu said, “Yes. If you can stop my pain, I’ll pay you double.”
Wei Caiwei hurriedly finished a few bites of rice, shouldered her medicine box. “Come on, take me to your room. Acupuncture requires undressing, so the hall isn’t convenient.”
Ding Wu stroked his chin. “Well… my room is right next to the flower brother’s. He just took two girls upstairs, and the walls are too thin…”
Ding Wu appeared calm on the surface but was actually as devastated as Wang Daxia inside: Ah! How could I say such things to my own sister!
Wei Caiwei said, “No problem, then let’s go to my room—that’ll be an extra twenty wen.”
Wei Caiwei led Ding Wu to her room. For easy protection, her room was positioned between Lu Ying, Wang Daxia, and the others’ rooms, all ground-floor accommodations.
After Wei Caiwei and Ding Wu went upstairs, Lu Ying pulled Wang Daxia’s hand. “Madam, now that you’re with child, go back and rest.”
She also instructed the waiter, “Tell the kitchen to stew an old hen soup—my wife will drink it tonight.”
What a gentle, considerate husband.
To catch that stinking Taoist priest, Wang Daxia had once acted as a woman. Now forced into playing a pregnant woman, he was quite skilled. He slowly stood up, naturally placing his right hand on his lower abdomen, being led upstairs by his “husband.”
The hall resumed its noise, with various discussions:
“That little wife has such a round, perky bottom—you can tell she’s good at childbearing.”
“Broad face and round cheeks, a typical appearance for bearing sons. She’ll definitely have a boy.”
“Why bring your wife along when doing business? How inconvenient.”
“Look how that little wife sways her waist—you can tell she’s restless. Would you dare leave such a beautiful wife at home? Who knows who might take advantage.”
“Brother, you make a good point.”
Hearing such talk, Wang Daxia immediately flared up: A bunch of gossiping stinky men talking behind people’s backs! Calling me a loose woman—believe it or not, what I can pull out is bigger than all of yours!
The two went upstairs and eagerly entered Wei Caiwei’s room. After going around in circles, all four were together again.
Wei Caiwei was telling him about learning to bake mooncakes from him. “…maggots grew inside while the outer crust remained intact. I’m never cooking again.”
Ding Wu’s eyes filled with laughter. “When everything’s over, I’ll come back and bake them for you every Mid-Autumn Festival.”
Wang Daxia entered the room and immediately dropped his right hand from his abdomen, resuming his masculine posture. “I wonder if we’ll have a share.”
Seeing the two enter, Ding Wu immediately stood and bowed. “Thank you both for protecting my sister’s safety. Of course, you’ll all have shares.”
Ding Wu opened with gratitude, such noble character that it made Wang Daxia’s sour comment seem petty in comparison.
Wang Daxia felt ashamed, guilty, and angry. He knew Wei Caiwei treated Ding Wu like a real older brother—their relationship was familial affection—but he couldn’t help himself. When he saw Wei Caiwei paying more attention to others than to him, he felt uncomfortable all over.
Lu Ying immediately got to business: “Which cabin on the boat you bought? Where is that boat headed? Are there still empty spots? We should take the same boat.”
Ding Wu opened the window and pointed to a large cargo ship on the canal with five sails flying a “Smooth Wind” banner. “That one, heading to Hangzhou. The ice hasn’t completely melted yet, so there are more boats than merchants—there should still be space available.”
Lu Ying immediately ordered her subordinates to negotiate passage prices with the Smooth Wind boat, then asked Ding Wu about his experiences over the past six months.
Ding Wu said, “I became a true defector, blaming my family’s downfall and my parents’ deaths on the Great Ming court, hoping the Khan’s court could defeat the Great Ming court to restore the Ding family’s reputation and honor our ancestors…”
“The current A’duo Si is just like the disguised me, holding resentment against the Khan’s court and never forgetting Third Madam. However, Third Madam has no lingering attachment to her fiancé A’duo Si and single-mindedly pursues power. An Da Khan dotes on her and almost never refuses her requests.”
Wang Daxia blurted out, “Isn’t that just like Shang Zhaoyi in the palace? Seems like old men all like young, beautiful girls.”
Ding Wu stared steadily at Wang Daxia. “Third Madam often speaks of you to me. She praises you endlessly.”
What? Wei Caiwei felt an inexplicable sourness rise in her heart, looking at Wang Daxia. “Praises him for what? For being too gullible? For being simple-minded?”
You sold your mother’s dowry fields to redeem her freedom, then kicked me out of the house the same day after I’d paid rent. I haven’t settled that account with you yet!
Wang Daxia warily crossed his arms defensively. “Don’t make baseless accusations. I have no relationship with her whatsoever. If not for Loyal Earl concealing the intelligence that Third Madam was Miss Jin Ying, I would have been framed with the crime of collaborating with the enemy. From beginning to end, I was the victim.”
Ding Wu said, “Third Madam said that regardless of any future conflicts between the White Lotus Sect and you, you and your family and friends must not be harmed.”
Wei Caiwei heard the weight of those words, and her sourness intensified.
Wang Daxia frantically waved his hands. “No way! If she can just pretend we’re strangers, I’ll be thanking heaven and earth. I don’t need protection from the mighty Third Madam.”
Ding Wu said, “Sect Leader Zhao Quan hates you to the bone, but Third Madam wants me to protect you. They have conflicts, and you’re the key to my gaining Third Madam’s trust. That’s why I could open up situations so quickly in both the Khan’s court and the White Lotus Sect—all because of you.”
Wei Caiwei: Oh my, who would have thought you’re actually a devastatingly handsome male disaster, capable of stirring up conflicts between the Khan’s court and the White Lotus Sect.
Seeing Wei Caiwei’s increasingly cold gaze, Wang Daxia frantically tried to distance himself. “That’s the result, and I can’t change Third Madam’s opinion of me, but I have no feelings for Third Madam whatsoever. She’s my enemy.”
Lu Ying propped her chin thoughtfully. “That’s not right. An enemy’s enemy is a temporary ally. On the White Lotus Sect issue, Third Madam isn’t an enemy but a helper.”
Wang Daxia quickly said, “This statement only represents Commander Lu’s viewpoint and has nothing to do with me.”
Looking at Wang Daxia’s wary expression, Wei Caiwei suddenly understood why in her previous life she had never heard of anyone named Jin Ying. Because pulling up the radish brings up the mud—the situation was too complicated, so Eunuch Wang simply kept quiet about it.
Eunuch Wang had even told her private matters about how Wang Xiaoxia only liked his right hand’s Fifth Miss when he was alive, but he had always kept Miss Jin Ying buried in his heart, silently bearing it alone.
Thinking of this, Wei Caiwei felt relieved. She picked up the teapot and poured tea for everyone. “After talking so much, you must be thirsty. Have some tea.”
Wang Daxia saw that there was a cup for him and relaxed slightly: Thank goodness I gritted my teeth and refused to admit anything.
After finishing business matters, Ding Wu said to Lu Ying, “Hearing the terrible news of Loyal Earl’s death and the change of commanders, I was once worried about being forgotten in the Khan’s court. I imagined all sorts of bad outcomes, fearing the undercover plan would fail. But seeing you appear in Linqing during your mourning period, I… feel ashamed. I still underestimated your determination to get things done, guessing that you might withdraw from the Embroidered Uniform Guard and lose contact with me due to losing Loyal Earl’s protection.”
Actually, Lu Ying also felt ashamed inside. When her mother Li Yiren had threatened death, she had truly considered giving up. She couldn’t just watch her mother die.
So a single thought could change one’s entire life and affect others’ fates too. Unknowingly, these people’s lives had become intertwined—pulling one thread affected everything.
Lu Ying said, “Being alone in the Khan’s court, your daily pressure is unimaginable. Some wavering is normal—no need for guilt. Honestly, I was almost forced by my mother to give up. It was Wang Daxia and Doctor Wei who found a way to rescue me from the household gates. Everyone has moments of wavering and weakness. After getting through them, we become stronger. Please rest assured, I’ll always support you from behind.”
“Me too,” Wei Caiwei said. “Although I’m not part of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, I’ll do everything I can to help you. I’m waiting for you to come back to bake mooncakes and peach pastries for me, make chicken and mushroom stew and iron pot goose stew. We’ll also go to Tieling to sweep our adoptive parents’ graves and see the northeastern snow.”
By the end, Wei Caiwei’s voice choked up, and a clear tear slid down her cheek. Ding Wu used his thumb to wipe away her tear. “Yes, that day will definitely come.”
Wang Daxia instinctively reached for his handkerchief to wipe Wei Caiwei’s tears, but halfway there he suddenly realized it wasn’t appropriate now. The handkerchief made a detour and ended up in Wei Caiwei’s hand. “I want to go too.”
Lu Ying caught this scene—oh ho, something’s happening here.
Just as the four were reaching an emotional moment, Wu Xiaoqi returned from gathering information at Linqing customs, his eyes bright with excitement. “That antique merchant calling himself Zhang Shan is indeed Luo Longwen. He brought so many goods through customs completely tax-free because he has tax exemption documents issued by Vice Minister Yan Shifan.”
Yan Shifan was like a Pixiu—only taking in, never giving out. Getting him to pay taxes would be worse than killing him, so he issued tax exemption documents to Luo Longwen, thereby revealing Luo Longwen’s origins. Even changing his appearance couldn’t hide it.
An unexpected bonus discovery. Wang Daxia said, “Looking so sneaky, he’s definitely up to no good.”
Then the subordinate who had gone to book passage on the canal returned to report: “We’ve negotiated with the Smooth Wind boat family. We can load our goods right now. The ice surface already has cracks—we can depart as early as tomorrow morning. Also, that antique merchant has booked the same boat. They’re already moving their goods into the bottom cargo hold. Don’t know what it is, but it’s incredibly heavy—one box requires six porters to lift, and the boat owner demanded extra payment on the spot.”
Wu Xiaoqi, having a blood feud with Yan Shifan, volunteered: “Put me in a box and carry me into the ship’s bottom cargo hold as goods. Once the cabin doors are closed, I’ll come out and see what they’re hiding in their boxes that can’t see daylight.”
Author’s Note: The lottery results are in! Readers who didn’t win shouldn’t be discouraged—this chapter includes 100 red envelopes. Wishing everyone a happy weekend! Also, there’s a 50,000 Jinjiang coin lottery next month, so there are still chances! Hugs and kisses.
Also mentioning an age-revealing drama: As a child, I watched a TV series called “Grassland Heroes” about the love triangle between Luo Longwen, Wang Cuiqiao, and Xu Hai. The drama romanticized the pirate Xu Hai, making him seem like someone forced into outlawry. At the time, I didn’t understand anything and even cried over the tragic ending of Xu Hai and Wang Cuiqiao, wanting to kill Luo Longwen for breaking up the couple. Now I can finally kill Luo Longwen once in my own story. A gentleman’s revenge is never too late, even after twenty years—I’m just that petty, hmph~