Vice Minister Li cursed inwardly: I thank your eight generations of ancestors!
Vice Minister Li produced another confiscation ledger: “These are items confiscated from Yan Shaoting’s courtyard—exactly the Yan family’s stolen goods. The Lu mansion harbored stolen property, the evidence is irrefutable. How dare you still argue?”
When soldiers come, use shields to block; when water comes, use earth to dam it. Wang Daxia pulled out a red dowry list: “The property in Yan Shaoting’s courtyard wasn’t brought from the Yan family—it’s all Second Miss Lu’s dowry from when she married. This is the dowry list from her wedding day. Every item can be matched. According to Ming law, a dowry is the daughter-in-law’s private property. Even when the husband’s family is raided, they can’t touch the daughter-in-law’s dowry. When the Yan family was raided, Second Miss Lu brought her dowry back to her natal family—what’s wrong with that? Or has Ming law changed, and I’m just ignorant?”
Whatever excuses Gao Gong could find to slander the Lu family, Lu Ying and the others had prepared plans for everything—private possession of forbidden items, harboring stolen goods—they had responses ready for each accusation.
Vice Minister Li looked at the dowry list, speechless. According to Ming law, Second Miss Lu could indeed keep her own dowry.
Back then, Yan Shaoting had fled with nothing, seeking refuge with his in-laws. Being a man who understood propriety, he feared implicating his wife’s family and brought nothing except the clothes on his back. The Lu family was generous and wealthy, not caring that their son-in-law came empty-handed. They still treated him as an honored guest, and beyond that, helped raise his two nephews who had been expelled by the Duke of Yan Sheng’s Kong mansion. All their food, drink, and expenses were the same as the Lu family children—they never shortchanged them.
Yan Shaoting’s caution and the Lu family’s generosity saved the day, leaving opponents unable to frame them.
Vice Minister Li snatched the dowry list and tore it to pieces: “This dowry list is fake! Who knows what Second Miss Lu was given back then? No evidence, no seal—you’ve listed Yan family stolen goods on the dowry list, thinking you can get away with it.”
“Tear away—it’s not the original anyway. I have plenty more.” Wang Daxia produced an identical copy, grinning wickedly: “I had my clerk copy many versions. The original is at my house. When the Ministry of Justice holds court hearings, I’ll bring the original. When Second Miss Lu married Yan Shaoting with her ten-li red dowry procession, such a grand wedding with crowds lining the streets to watch—quite a few people saw Second Miss Lu’s dowry. From peddlers and porters to noble sons, I can find witnesses by the handful.”
Vice Minister Li was forced to retreat step by step. Unable to frame them, he resorted to psychological warfare, saying to Wang Daxia: “Regional Commander Wang, might we speak privately?”
Wang Daxia rubbed his hands like a fly, looking flattered: “Vice Minister Li wants to whisper secrets with me? What an honor.”
Vice Minister Li led Wang Daxia inside and said: “Let’s speak plainly. You surely know who’s behind me. Never mind you—even your Embroidered Uniform Guard Commander Zhu must bow and scrape before Elder Gao. If you insist on protecting the Wang family and provoke Elder Gao’s thunderous wrath, dealing with you would be child’s play for Elder Gao.”
Wang Daxia said: “I may be small potatoes, but I’m a dish of spicy peppers that burns the mouth. If Elder Gao wants to swallow me, his stomach and backside will suffer. Elder Gao is over seventy—I wonder if he can endure such suffering.”
“You—” Vice Minister Li’s eyes widened. “You’re utterly vulgar!”
“It’s just us two here—no need to pretend, Vice Minister Li.” Wang Daxia’s eyes smiled as he mentioned an address: “Outside Chaoyang Gate at Erlitun, Maple Leaf Manor.”
Upon hearing this, Vice Minister Li’s expression immediately changed.
Wang Daxia moved closer, circling around Vice Minister Li: “What a golden house hiding beauty! Maple Leaf Manor has twin sisters, heavenly beauties. Vice Minister Li shares a bed with both sisters—one dragon, two phoenixes—how delightful, truly a god’s life.”
“One of the sisters even bore a child—I don’t know if it was the elder or younger sister. I’ve seen them—they look too alike, I can’t tell them apart either. But—”
Wang Daxia whispered in his ear: “Never mind that Vice Minister Li’s wife has always refused to allow concubines, and Maple Leaf Manor is a secret residence that can’t see daylight. Let’s just talk about that child’s age—almost four years old, right? That means Vice Minister Li planted his seed during his father’s mourning period and the previous emperor’s mourning period. Tsk tsk, both state mourning and family mourning, yet Vice Minister Li could still sleep soundly. I really want to applaud Vice Minister Li’s courage.”
Clap clap clap, Wang Daxia started applauding again: “Elder Gao doesn’t know about this, does he? If he knew you had such a major weakness, he’d never trust you enough to have you raid the Lu family.”
Despite the autumn tiger weather, Vice Minister Li felt his spine go cold: The Embroidered Uniform Guard was truly terrifying! There were no secrets they couldn’t uncover!
Vice Minister Li asked: “Are you threatening me?”
Wang Daxia quickly waved his hands: “Not at all. I just want to make a deal with Vice Minister Li. You’ve been ordered to supervise this case and must give Elder Gao an explanation. I also work for others and understand your feelings—of course you want to satisfy your superior to get promoted. But Vice Minister Li must plan for your future. You’re only in your forties, a successful jinshi graduate in your prime. Elder Gao is over seventy—who knows how many more years he can hold the Chief Minister position? But Vice Minister Li’s future is still long.”
“You should know who my wife is—a favorite of Noble Consort Li in the palace. The Crown Prince was born by Noble Consort Li, and all five children in the palace now were born by Noble Consort Li. My wife even cut the Crown Prince’s hair once.”
Wang Daxia didn’t hide his position: “I’ll be frank—I don’t want to work hard anymore. I plan to live off my wife in the future. Vice Minister Li should take the long view. Punish what should be punished in the Lu family, imprison who should be imprisoned, confiscate what should be confiscated—you can report to Elder Gao, and Noble Consort Li’s side will remember your name. I absolutely won’t make this difficult for you. I only have one request—no deaths. Also, take care of the women and children. Don’t exile them to harsh places like Tieling. They’re all pampered people, hothouse flowers who couldn’t survive in such places.”
Vice Minister Li held up two fingers: “That’s already two requests.”
Wang Daxia familiarly threw his arm around Vice Minister Li: “Money we don’t want—just spare their lives. Leave a line when acting, so we can meet again afterward. If there are deaths, I’ll be sorry, but I’ll expose Vice Minister Li’s concubines and child. Sleeping with beauties during state and family mourning—first, it’s unfilial; second, it’s disloyal; third, it shows poor private virtue. With these three charges, Vice Minister Li’s fate might be worse than the Lu family’s.”
Wang Daxia pulled out a child’s rattle: “Take this—your child played with it. Don’t think about moving your concubines away—my people are watching.”
Vice Minister Li had intended to threaten Wang Daxia but was instead threatened by him. When they emerged from the room, Vice Minister Li ordered the three men—Lu Yi and others—taken to prison carts, this time without requiring them to wear cangues.
As for the female family members and children, Vice Minister Li expelled them from the Lu mansion—as a residence, the mansion was also subject to confiscation. They were sent to the Lu family’s memorial house in Sanlitun outside Chaoyang Gate for confinement.
According to Ming law, memorial houses and memorial fields used for ancestral worship could be exempted from confiscation—unless the tomb owner was sentenced to grave-opening and corpse mutilation, in which case the gravesite would be leveled and all memorial houses and fields confiscated.
Lu Bing had not yet been sentenced to corpse mutilation, so the Sanlitun memorial house still belonged to the Lu family. They could sustain themselves from the memorial fields’ produce. It was now golden autumn, harvest time—confined here, they could be self-sufficient and wouldn’t go hungry.
Vice Minister Li counted the women and children and noticed someone missing: “Where is Fourth Miss Lu? She’s unmarried and lives in the mansion—where is she?”
No one answered Vice Minister Li.
After Wang Daxia’s warning, Vice Minister Li no longer had his earlier official authority. He spoke in a consulting tone: “Don’t make this difficult for me. I’m just following orders. The list is here—there are three adult women in the Lu family: Li Shi (Li Yiren had been stripped of her title), Second Miss Lu who is Yan Shaoting’s wife, and the ever-unmarried Fourth Miss Lu. If I’m missing one person, how can I report?”
“If you don’t speak, I can only report that Fourth Miss has fled privately. The Ministry of Justice will issue a warrant, searching everywhere for Fourth Miss. Once on a wanted list, if caught, she’ll be sent to Ministry of Justice prison for interrogation. Prison in the Ministry of Justice, or staying with family in the memorial house awaiting court judgment? Think carefully.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Lu Ying, who had quickly changed into women’s clothing with Wang Daxia’s help, emerged from around a corner: “Sorry, nature called—I just went to the toilet.”
Vice Minister Li looked closely: How did this Fourth Miss Lu look so similar to Lu Bing’s illegitimate son Lu Ying! Like identical twins!
It seemed that back then, Lu Bing had acknowledged his illegitimate daughter into the family while keeping his illegitimate son outside.
No wonder this Fourth Miss Lu could never marry and became an old maid—she was an illegitimate daughter who couldn’t be presented properly.
Vice Minister Li ordered his subordinates: “Come, load them onto carts and send them to the Sanlitun memorial house for confinement.”
Lu Ying and her second sister helped their ashen-faced mother Li Shi onto the cart. Just as Li Shi boarded, there was another commotion ahead—someone else was trespassing on the confiscation site.
Vice Minister Li’s face went white with anger. He whispered to Wang Daxia, who was standing on tiptoe watching the excitement: “What do you people mean? Disrupting things repeatedly, giving me no face—how can I report to Elder Gao? The act doesn’t even look convincing anymore.”
Wang Daxia looked innocent: “Really, they’re not our people.”
The newcomer was Ding Wu!
Ding Wu rode straight through: “Wait! Don’t take away my wife!”
Ding Wu didn’t come alone—behind him was his father Ding Rukui, who had been rehabilitated and had his official position restored.
Ding Rukui was a former Minister of War who had nearly entered the Cabinet. Vice Minister Li didn’t dare offend him and quickly ordered people to clear the way.
“Wife?” Vice Minister Li thought he’d misheard. “Whose wife is Young Master Ding? There are only three female prisoners here.”
“Her.” Ding Wu pointed to Lu Ying, whose face showed surprise, joy, excitement, and trembling lips: “Fourth Miss Lu is my wife.”
“Impossible!” Vice Minister Li repeatedly checked the confiscation list. “Fourth Miss Lu is clearly unmarried.”
“Miss Lu and I have been secretly married.” Ding Wu said: “My wife and I secretly married ten years ago. At that time, I had to go to the Khan’s court to infiltrate the White Lotus Sect as a spy, so it wasn’t convenient to make it public. Only my parents knew about this.”
Ding Rukui slowly dismounted. He was old and had been traveling hard with his son recently. He looked haggard, his beard covered with dust.
Ding Wu quickly went to support his father, fearing Ding Rukui might fall.
Ding Rukui said: “Fourth Miss Lu is indeed our Ding family’s daughter-in-law. Ten years ago, I drank the daughter-in-law tea she served.”