Hearing Lu Ying misinterpret his meaning and act in completely the opposite manner, Lu Bing felt he might have another stroke—stroke upon stroke.

But post-stroke Lu Bing was like a baby in a cradle—weak, pitiful, unable to speak, only able to be manipulated by others with unspeakable suffering.

He didn’t trust Wei Caiwei, but Wei Caiwei had indeed saved his life.

When Imperial Physician Song arrived after hearing the news, he saw Wei Caiwei applying needles, bloodletting, and moxibustion while Lu Bing showed obvious improvement. Imperial Physician Song wiped his sweat and said: “This female physician handled it very well. If it had been any later, he might have been hemiplegic for the rest of his life.”

Wei Caiwei was already unwell and had forced herself to treat Lu Bing, barely able to hold the needles steady. When Imperial Physician Song arrived, Wei Caiwei yielded her place, told him how she had just treated Lu Bing, then excused herself to rest in the adjacent guest room.

Upon entering the guest room, she heard thunderous snoring—Wang Daxia had actually been sleeping the entire time, completely unaware of what happened next door!

How tired must he be!

Not only that, Wang Daxia had changed sleeping positions from lying flat to lying on his side, curling his long legs that had nowhere to go against his abdomen, sleeping entirely on the desk, curled up like a cooked shrimp, resembling a fetus returned to the womb.

Lu Ying remained by Lu Bing’s side, watching Imperial Physician Song continue treating his father. In the guest room, only Wang Daxia and Wei Caiwei were present.

Seeing his sleeping posture looked truly uncomfortable, Wei Caiwei took the pillow from the arhat couch, gently lifted Wang Daxia’s head, and replaced the brick-like “Great Ming Law” with the pillow.

After over thirty years of marriage in her previous life, caring for her dead husband had become instinct. Seeing him uncomfortable, she thought about how to solve it and make him more comfortable, without considering other matters.

In his sleep, Wang Daxia’s brow relaxed as his head nuzzled into the soft pillow. Wei Caiwei worried he might nuzzle the pillow off, so she stood behind the pillow, supporting it with her waist.

Wang Daxia reached back with both hands, grabbed the pillow, and hugged it to his chest. Without the pillow, his neck was uncomfortable. In his sleep, Wang Daxia treated this place like a bed, turned over, and tried to find a more comfortable sleeping position.

Seeing Wang Daxia about to roll off the desk onto the floor, Wei Caiwei quickly reached out to hold his shoulder: “Don’t move around—you’ll fall.”

Wang Daxia jolted awake, seeing a pair of pale hands on his shoulder. Looking closely, Wei Caiwei was right beside him, very close to his head.

Wang Daxia immediately sat up holding the pillow: “What are you trying to do? You still haven’t given up your designs on me.”

“I kindly changed your pillow.” Wei Caiwei pointed to the “Great Ming Law” on the bookshelf. “You were pillowing something too hard—be careful of a stiff neck.”

Wang Daxia looked around, hugging the pillow even tighter, like a beauty encountering a rogue’s harassment: “Where’s Commander Lu? How come only we two are in the room? A man and woman alone together—what propriety is this!”

Wang Daxia glanced at the “Great Ming Law”: “You clearly used changing the pillow as an excuse to approach me while Commander Lu was away! Confess honestly—what did you touch just now?”

“I touched your head.” Wei Caiwei was exhausted and lay back on the arhat couch. “Since you and I can’t be in the same room, please leave. Ask the guards outside about Commander Lu’s whereabouts. I’m very tired and too lazy to explain to you.”

“You can’t touch my head either.” Wang Daxia returned the pillow to Wei Caiwei. “Why does your complexion look worse than before? Is the drug still in effect?”

Wei Caiwei said: “I’m fine, just tired. Please leave.”

Wang Daxia left and inquired about the situation. Wei Caiwei lay on the arhat couch and could hear Wang Daxia’s surprised exclamations through the window.

Wei Caiwei drank her self-prepared medicine and dozed off drowsily.

At the Embroidered Uniform Guard Office Entrance

Chen Jingji drove his mule cart to a stop, placed a stool below the carriage, and said: “Miss Jiubao, we’ve arrived.”

Li Jiubao, the beauty of Machang Alley, stepped down from the cart carrying a black ceramic jar with a padded cotton cover, containing some unknown treasure.

Both wore their finest clothes.

Chen Jingji wore the lake-blue silk robe he used for business negotiations. Li Jiubao wore a white silk shirt with a bright red horse-face skirt, adorned with a pair of gold-plated copper lotus hairpins. Due to the harsh sun, Li Jiubao wore a face veil.

The two walked to the office entrance. Chen Jingji said to the door guards: “Please trouble the military gentlemen to relay a message to Doctor Wei in the office—we have business with her.”

Seeing their shabby dress, the guards assumed they were poor relatives coming to seek favors and waved them away like shooing flies: “This is the Embroidered Uniform Guard office for official business. If you want to visit relatives, go directly to her home.”

“Sir, we’re not Doctor Wei’s relatives, just neighbors,” Li Jiubao removed her veil and curtseyed to the guards. “Doctor Wei is usually generous and charitable. We were shocked to hear she encountered villains last night, fortunately the Northern City Military Commissioner’s night patrol arrived in time and she escaped disaster. We common people have nothing valuable to offer, so we made her a jar of chicken soup to nourish her body. We originally went to her home, but found it locked. Learning Doctor Wei had come to the Embroidered Uniform Guard office, we came here.”

Li Jiubao revealed her lotus-like face. Beauty was indeed a weapon—the guards’ attitude became much gentler. They asked: “You traveled from the northern to southern city just to bring Doctor Wei chicken soup?”

Li Jiubao nodded: “Exactly.”

The guard said: “Open it and let me see.”

Li Jiubao opened the lid. The guard looked down and saw glistening chicken soup with various unidentifiable mushrooms rarely seen in the capital, emitting a unique fungi fragrance that made one’s mouth water.

These were the Tieling Ivory Mountain hazel mushrooms Wei Caiwei had given Li Jiubao yesterday. Though poor, Li Jiubao didn’t want to owe favors. Learning of Wei Caiwei’s danger, she slaughtered her family’s small rooster and soaked the hazel mushrooms according to Wei Caiwei’s instructions, stewing them with the chicken—as Wei Caiwei had mentioned, these mushrooms paired best with chicken.

The guard said: “It’s not that I’m making things difficult, but this is a restricted government area where outsiders cannot enter. Doctor Wei is someone both our Lord Lu and Commander Lu have specifically ordered us to protect well. How can we casually let her meet outsiders? I can help deliver the chicken soup, but people cannot enter.”

Li Jiubao said: “Then we’ll trouble you, sir. I’m called Li Jiubao, and this is Chen Jingji. Just mention our names and Doctor Wei will know who we are.”

The guard had someone take the ceramic jar inside. Li Jiubao thanked him repeatedly before boarding Chen Jingji’s mule cart to return home.

The jar of chicken stewed with mushrooms was delivered to the back courtyard. Wei Caiwei had taken medicine and was still sleeping, so it fell into Wang Daxia’s hands.

After the guard explained the situation, Wang Daxia said: “I know Chen Jingji—we became acquainted through conflict. But Li Jiubao… oh, I remember now, the beauty of Machang Alley. I’ve heard her name but never seen her in person.”

The guard recalled the young woman’s beauty and gentle manner: “Her appearance matches the title ‘beauty’—indeed extraordinary.”

After confirming their identities, Wang Daxia cautiously fed some meat and mushrooms to pigeons. Seeing the pigeons unharmed, he placed the jar on Wei Caiwei’s dining table.

Wang Daxia trusted common people like Chen Jingji and Li Jiubao because they only sought basic sustenance. But how many hands had the jar passed through from theirs to here?

Due to Zhou Xiaoqi’s incident, Wang Daxia was somewhat paranoid, always feeling someone wanted to harm Wei Caiwei.

Due to the medication, Wei Caiwei didn’t wake until evening. Lu Ying remained constantly by his father’s side while Wang Daxia, finally having slept enough, sat under tree shade with a blade of grass, teasing ants.

Wei Caiwei stood by the window, watching fourteen-year-old Wang Daxia play with ants. His eyes were innocent and pure, like morning dewdrops on flower petals.

Wei Caiwei predictably softened her heart again, inviting Wang Daxia to join her for dinner. The jar of chicken stewed with Ivory Mountain hazel mushrooms sat in the center, fragrant and appetizing.

Wei Caiwei acted casual: “It’s hot weather—this can’t keep overnight. Let’s eat it together.”

Wang Daxia sipped the soup: “Mm, this beauty’s cooking skills are quite good. Really fragrant.”

Wei Caiwei thought: This was personally cooked by the future empress dowager—I actually got to taste it in this lifetime.

Since Wei Caiwei was still taking medicine, she dared not touch rich foods, only eating a few hazel mushrooms. Wang Daxia nearly devoured everything alone. He could eat, sleep, and grow. After finishing the chicken, he soaked a bowl of rice in the remaining soup, softening the rice before slurping it down—soft rice didn’t require careful chewing.

Wang Daxia finally set down his chopsticks, satisfied. He leaned back comfortably: “When you return, send her a few more packets of hazel mushrooms.” Once she cooks them, I’ll come eat.

Wei Caiwei saw through his scheme: “Sending one packet of mushrooms got me a jar of chicken soup in return. If I send several more packets, her family’s chickens might go extinct.”

Wang Daxia laughed sheepishly without responding. Chicken easily got stuck in teeth, so he went behind the screen to the washing stand, picking his teeth while looking in the bronze mirror on the stand.

Wei Caiwei had something to ask his help with: “Starting today, you’re officially an Embroidered Uniform Guard member, right?”

“Of course.” Wang Daxia bit the toothpick at an angle. “It’s not that I wanted to come—Commander Lu insisted. I couldn’t refuse his kind invitation, so I’ll try it first. If it doesn’t work out, I’ll quit. I don’t lack this bowl of rice anyway.”

Wei Caiwei said: “Since you’re now an Embroidered Uniform Guard member, I’d like to ask a favor.”

Wang Daxia immediately became alert: “You and I joined forces against Zhou Xiaoqi, so we have a life-and-death friendship. I should help you, but don’t even think about repaying with your body.”

Chaste husband Wang Daxia.

Wei Caiwei said: “I’ve told you countless times—my heart only holds my late husband. There’s an elder I respect imprisoned in the Embroidered Uniform Guard’s imperial prison. I want to speak with him.”

Wang Daxia spat out the toothpick, rinsed with green salt, gargled and spat it out, then wiped his mouth with a towel: “Just visiting a prisoner? Small matter—leave it to me. As long as you don’t have designs on me, it’s fine.”

Wei Caiwei said: “He’s a death row prisoner named Ding Rukui.”

Wang Daxia was uneducated and, having been only four years old during that catastrophe ten years ago, had no memory of it. He didn’t know how important Ding Rukui was or how troublesome this person could be: “I’ll go to death row right now to find him, repaying the favor of this chicken soup.”

Wang Daxia was good at building relationships. He bought some watermelons to give the guards as after-meal fruit and learned that Ding Rukui would be holding a sacrificial ceremony in the courtyard tonight.

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