Lu Ying clearly remembered that ten years ago, she had indeed carried a bowl of something to the death row cell in the Imperial Prison to give to Ding Rukui to drink.
But that thing wasn’t daughter-in-law tea.
It was the feigned death potion that Wei Caiwei had prepared. After consuming it, one would fall into unconsciousness, with slow breathing and a stiff body. By applying some powder to the face, it would look exactly like a corpse.
Ding Rukui insisted on calling it daughter-in-law tea… Well, whatever you say it is!
Lu Ying made an effort to assume a gentle and virtuous posture, slowly stepped forward, and bowed to Ding Rukui. “Father-in-law has arrived. After such an arduous journey, how is your health?”
Ding Rukui’s old bones had nearly been shaken apart on horseback. At this moment, he felt as if even the ground beneath his feet was undulating and swaying. Fortunately, Ding Wu was supporting him, preventing him from falling. “I’m fine. Ding Wu traveled this long distance to Yunnan to fetch me. The journey was far, and I’ve troubled my daughter-in-law.”
Ten years ago, Lu Ying had been upright and honest, unable to tell lies. Over these ten years, under the constant influence of that master liar Wang Daxia, she had learned bad habits, and lies now came naturally to her. “This daughter-in-law isn’t troubled. Father-in-law and husband arrived just in time to rescue me. I’m infinitely grateful.”
At this moment, Lady Li, who had been stunned speechless, came to her senses. So Ding Wu was the man her daughter had mentioned who was carrying out secret missions!
But ten years ago, the person her daughter liked was clearly Wang Daxia!
Lady Li looked at the grinning Wang Daxia, who seemed quite willing to wear a green hat.
Sigh, the world of young people—we elderly can’t understand it. However, with Lu Ying becoming a member of the Ding family, the crime wouldn’t extend to married daughters, so she could gain her freedom without being implicated by her natal family.
Lady Li cleared her throat softly and said, “To protect my son-in-law, the wedding ten years ago was very simple, with only myself, my husband, and the in-law present. We’ve kept it secret all these years. Now that my son-in-law has returned with merit, we had originally planned to hold a proper wedding ceremony. Ding Wu went to Yunnan to bring back his father for a family reunion and to arrange the wedding, but unexpectedly our Lu family has gotten into trouble. Alas, Heaven wills it so—my daughter’s marriage has been too full of hardships.”
For her daughter’s freedom, Lady Li also joined in the lies. Speaking with emotion, she even took out her handkerchief to wipe away tears. Everyone present, except for Wang Daxia, believed that the secret marriage between Ding Wu and Lu Ying was real!
To discover a son-in-law while conducting an imperial house raid was beyond Minister Li’s expectations. This Lu Bing really had an eye for choosing in-laws!
This kind of marriage known only between the parties involved—if the Ding family simply turned their backs and refused to acknowledge it, with Fourth Miss Lu as a secretly married daughter-in-law whom nobody knew about, as the daughter of a criminal official, she could be abandoned at will. The Lu family’s Fourth Miss would have no choice but to swallow this bitter pill. Yet here was the Ding family, treating her like a precious treasure and traveling back to acknowledge their daughter-in-law!
What kind of spirit was this? This was simply madness!
Ding Wu supported his elderly father with one hand and took Lu Ying’s hand with the other, saying to Lady Li, “Mother-in-law, your son-in-law has come to take his wife home. When I came, I already ordered people to prepare the ancestral house at Sanli Village. All the necessary items for daily life—bed curtains, bedding, oil, salt, sauce, vinegar, tea, and firewood—have been moved there. It should be barely habitable now.”
It was only when the house raid occurred that Lady Li met her fourth son-in-law for the first time. A mother-in-law looking at her son-in-law—the more she looked, the more pleased she became. Ding Wu’s appearance and bearing were truly superior, and with his father Ding Rukui restored to his official position, Ding Wu instantly became Lady Li’s most favored son-in-law.
Lady Li said to Lu Ying, “You go back to your husband’s family. Don’t worry about your natal family. Your father was far-sighted—he built the ancestral house solidly and sent people to tend the ancestral fields every year. The crops have grown well over the years, and the land hasn’t been neglected. We can be self-sufficient.”
Strong as Lu Ying was, at this moment she couldn’t help but have tears in her eyes. She very much wanted to go to the ancestral house with her mother and second sister to share their hardships, but she also understood that if she were confined to the Sanli Village ancestral house, she could do nothing but passively await the court’s verdict. However, if she gained freedom outside under the identity of a Ding family daughter-in-law, she could at least work for her family members and visit the Ministry of Justice prison—Lu Yi, Lu Cai, and Yan Shaoting were still imprisoned! Heaven knew what methods Gao Gong would use to torture them with harsh interrogations.
Lu Ying kowtowed with tears in her eyes. “Mother, take care. Your daughter is leaving.”
This parting was for a better reunion in the future. Though Lady Li was reluctant to part with her daughter, she steeled herself and got into the carriage, taking her second daughter and a group of children to the ancestral house at Sanli Village.
Once in the carriage, Lady Li’s tears rolled down freely. Second Miss Lu said, “Mother kept it so well hidden from this daughter. So Fourth Sister has been married for ten years. This is actually good—at least Fourth Sister can gain her freedom. With her naturally free-spirited nature, if she were confined to the ancestral house, wouldn’t she be stifled to death? Fourth Sister’s husband is an honorable gentleman who hasn’t kicked us while we’re down. Fourth Sister has found a good home—Mother should be happy for her instead of crying.”
Lady Li thought to herself: The son-in-law is indeed a good son-in-law, but all the dowry I had accumulated for Lu Ying over the years—the fields, land, and property—have all been confiscated. Apart from the simple clothes and jewelry she’s wearing, Lu Ying has nothing else. To enter her husband’s family’s door empty-handed without a single item of dowry—how shabby that is.
After Lady Li and the others left, Ding Wu took his newly acquired wife Lu Ying and bid farewell. The husband and wife returned home together.
Except for Wang Daxia, the Imperial Guards were all stunned when they saw Fourth Miss Lu, who looked almost identical to their superior Lu Ying. But she was Lu Ying’s younger sister, and they dared not look directly at her or discuss her out of propriety.
Minister Li ordered people to seal all the doors and windows of the Lu residence with strips of paper, hang a large lock on the main gate, and lock all the confiscated trunks and chests, sealing them with strips of paper. Wang Daxia supervised from the side to prevent anyone from planting false evidence, and escorted Minister Li all the way to the Ministry of Justice office before leaving with his subordinates.
Since they were all his own people, Commander Wu was the first to lose patience and asked Wang Daxia, “That Fourth Miss Lu looks so much like our chief. If our chief dressed as a woman, he’d look exactly like that. Fourth Miss was born to Lady Li, and our chief is an illegitimate child—they don’t share the same mother, yet they look so alike?”
Wang Daxia made something up: “Actually, they’re twins. It’s hard to arrange marriages for illegitimate daughters, so Lord Lu brought his daughter home to acknowledge her ancestry and clan. It doesn’t matter for boys—whether they can make something of themselves mainly depends on their own abilities. Besides, Lord Lu has always been cautious. Not acknowledging our chief was also preparation for the possibility that if the family faced disaster in the future, at least one could be preserved.”
So that’s how it was! Everyone believed him. Commander Wu still had questions: “Where did our chief go? As soon as Fourth Miss Lu appeared, he vanished without a trace.”
Wang Daxia said, “Oh, I forgot to tell you all—he was suddenly summoned away by the Duke of Chengguo. There seemed to be some urgent matter.”
Wang Daxia immediately changed the subject: “You all need to work harder recently. Dig up all the dirt on those Ministry of Justice officials. Apart from Hai Rui, what official is truly as clean as water? If it’s not money, it’s women, or men—everyone has a weak spot. Also, focus your investigation on Meng Chong, the Chief Eunuch of the Ceremonial Directorate. Don’t overlook any of his relatives or adopted sons within three generations. Find more dirt on them so we can use it against them in the future.”
Commander Wu and the others acknowledged the orders and went their separate ways.
Wang Daxia returned home, intending to tell Wei Caiwei about Ding Wu’s “ten-year secret marriage,” but found an unexpected guest at home—Eunuch Feng Bao, the Eastern Depot Director.
“Director!” Wang Daxia quickly paid his respects. Feng Bao gave him a large chest: “This old servant has come to present Commander Wang with a great gift. Our Eastern Depot’s intelligence is still well-informed.”
Wang Daxia expressed his gratitude.
“No need to be polite. We’re all in the same boat—we prosper together and fall together.” Feng Bao put on a face veil to conceal his identity. “The Eastern Depot and Imperial Guard check each other mutually. This old servant must avoid suspicion and cannot stay long. Farewell. Don’t tell anyone that this old servant was here.”
Wang Daxia saw off Feng Bao. Wei Caiwei opened the chest, which was full of dirt on Chief Eunuch Meng Chong of the Ceremonial Directorate and his relatives and adopted sons, with solid evidence.
Wei Caiwei said, “Feng Bao has twice sought the position of Chief Eunuch without success. A distinguished graduate of the Inner Academy, yet he was beaten to the position by Meng Chong, who came from the Imperial Kitchen as a cook. How could he not harbor resentment? He’s probably been watching for a long time. Moreover, Feng Bao controls the Eastern Depot with many eyes and ears—he probably knows exactly what Meng Chong eats for his three daily meals.”
The Lu family was saved! Wang Daxia was overjoyed as he flipped through the chest of treasures, putting other matters out of his mind. When he went to bed that night, he felt like there was something he should tell Wei Caiwei, but having been so mentally and physically exhausted from the house raid that day, he fell asleep without giving it much thought.
Meanwhile, at the Ding residence.
Ding Wu led Lu Ying by the hand all the way back to the mansion, announcing that she was his wife of ten years in secret marriage, and ordering all the household servants to address Lu Ying as Young Madam.
Ding Rukui was also very cooperative, handing over the household account books and keys to Lu Ying, asking her to manage the household affairs.
After the three of them had a reunion dinner, Ding Wu and Lu Ying entered the bridal chamber.
With no one around, they could finally speak privately. Lu Ying asked, “Your father has agreed to our marriage?”
Ding Wu nodded. “My father is someone who repays both kindness and enmity clearly. Although he was arrested by your father and spent ten years in the death row of the Imperial Prison, he also knows that it was Yan Shifan who stabbed him in the back, making Yan Song take the blame for his arrest. Sentenced to death but not executed for ten years—it was because your father bribed the palace eunuchs every year to keep my father’s death sentence review documents buried at the bottom of the pile. Your father saved him, so he repays kindness with kindness and agreed to cooperate with me in this act to save you.”
Having experienced great sorrow and great joy today, Lu Ying was physically and mentally exhausted. She wanted to relax a bit and briefly forget her troubles. Seeing her beloved by her side, and with them already being publicly recognized as husband and wife married for ten years, she immediately removed her rhinoceros horn hairpin and threw it at the candle. The hairpin cut through the wick, extinguishing the candle flame, and the room fell into complete darkness.
The sound of rustling clothes being removed came from the room, along with the breathing of a man and woman. The maid who came to bring bath water heard this and tactfully walked away with her water bucket.
Ding Rukui waited in his study for his son to come talk, but after waiting for a long time without seeing him, he had a page boy go urge him. The page boy returned to report, “Master, the Young Master and Young Madam have already retired for the night.”
“What?” Ding Rukui was so shocked he stood up from his seat. Wasn’t this supposed to be just an act? How had it become real?
The page boy said, “They’ve already retired. The lights in their room have been out for quite a while—probably due to exhaustion from the long journey.”
Ding Rukui calculated with his fingers—judging by the time the lights had been extinguished, the raw rice had by now been cooked into cooked rice. For him as a father-in-law to run over and stop them at this point would really be improper.
Since things had already reached this point, could he really refuse to acknowledge it? The old Ding family couldn’t do such an unscrupulous thing. He’d just have to grit his teeth and accept it.