Upon hearing this, Lu Bing said: “This… they paraded naked through the streets, known to all of Capital City. Everyone on West Gulou Diagonal Street witnessed it firsthand. These three men have no face left to show anyone and are hiding in their dormitory rooms at the Prefecture Academy, refusing to come out. Moreover, their names are now known throughout Capital City. In future imperial examinations, candidates must vouch for each other. With such a reputation, who would dare guarantee them? Risk their own future? Without guarantors, these people are effectively barred from imperial examinations. So Wang Daxia has already cut off their path to examinations and official careers. Why do you need to go further?”

Lu Ying insisted: “Whether they’re barred from imperial examinations is their business. Whether the Prefecture Academy and Ministry of Rites punish students who publicly humiliated a widow is another matter entirely. I closed over ten Taotie Restaurants and want to severely punish three Prefecture Academy students to let the world know—don’t think you can slap the label of ‘wanton woman’ on any woman and feel justified in humiliating her. Don’t think you can easily escape responsibility by avoiding involvement and being a mere spectator.”

“I’m deliberately making this a big issue, not just for Dr. Wei alone. I’m doing it so that in the future, when other women are publicly humiliated, those who do evil and those who watch will have some restraint. For such people, moral education is useless—only severe punishment will make them remember.”

Lu Ying was different from her father and even Wang Daxia. As a woman, she naturally empathized with Wei Caiwei and could personally feel her fear and anger at that time.

For Wang Daxia, it was these people bullying his “scandalous woman”—essentially challenging him. Rumors wouldn’t hurt him; people would even envy him, thinking him romantic. There would never be a situation where he paid to eat at a restaurant only to be mocked by another table calling him a “wanton man” to bully and despise him. They might even enthusiastically invite him to dine together, seeking advice at the drinking table on how to sleep with the pretty widow.

But for Lu Ying, she saw this world’s malice toward women and how easily a woman labeled “wanton” could fall into a situation where everyone pointed fingers, anyone could step on her and curse her while thinking themselves righteous defenders of morality.

Lu Ying, despite being a wealthy young lady, spent her days with a group of men. For the Chen Qianhu father-and-son murder case, she had even stormed into the men’s bathhouse Huaqing Pool with Wang Daxia, weaving through naked white bodies to reach the hidden underground gambling den behind to catch the book boy.

If someday her female identity were exposed or she lost her father Lu Bing’s protection, everything she was currently doing could very likely put her in a more dangerous situation than Wei Caiwei.

After all, the gossip about Wei Caiwei’s romantic affairs was just rumors—no one had actually seen her sleep with two men. But everything Lu Ying did was well-known fact.

The saying goes that when the rabbit dies, the fox grieves. Only Lu Ying could truly empathize with Wei Caiwei, which was why she proposed such severe punishment—something even Wang Daxia wouldn’t think of.

This was all about gender, nothing to do with who cared more about Wei Caiwei.

Lu Bing couldn’t understand Lu Ying’s request: “You must do this?”

Lu Ying nodded: “Can’t father handle such a small matter?”

Fathers most fear their children’s disappointment. But Lu Bing felt Lu Ying’s request was doable but unnecessary.

Lu Bing rubbed his forehead: “It’s not difficult, much simpler than closing over ten Taotie Restaurants overnight. I get impeached every month anyway—a few more impeachment memorials this June doesn’t matter. With His Majesty’s support, no one dares touch me. My position is more secure than the Yan Song father-and-son duo. Since you insist, I’ll send people to handle it.”

Since ancient times, the restaurant business had been highly profitable, especially expensive ones like Taotie Restaurant. To operate over ten branches in Capital City and conduct big business, they must have backing—otherwise they couldn’t continue. Taotie Restaurant gave their backers a substantial annual dividend.

Lu Bing knew exactly who backed Taotie Restaurant—also a significant figure, but this backer would never oppose Embroidered Uniform Guard Commander Lu Bing over lost dividends. The small profit wasn’t worth the loss.

Lu Bing was an old fox who avoided offending people and left room for maneuver. He had already sent people to notify the backer that he would remember this favor and repay it in the future.

As for the Prefecture Academy and Ministry of Rites, this was the year of the six-yearly Capital Inspection. The Personnel Department and Prefecture Academy officials worried about losing their positions. The Personnel Department, responsible for evaluating officials below fourth rank, was headed by Minister Wu Peng, Lu Bing’s good friend, and their families were discussing marriage arrangements—future in-laws.

When Lu Bing spoke, the Ministry of Rites would definitely strip Lu Renjia of his xiucai degree, and Prefecture Academy officials would expel these three students—who wanted to be accused of harboring criminals and be judged “negligent oversight” in the Capital Inspection evaluation and dismissed from office?

So Lu Bing could accomplish this with a gesture, much simpler than uprooting over ten Taotie Restaurants.

Lu Ying said: “Thank you, father.”

This address pleased Lu Bing, who joked: “Not calling me Commander Lu anymore?” During their tense relationship a few days ago, she had consistently called him Commander Lu.

Lu Ying said: “I still need to call you that when outsiders are present.”

Lu Bing stroked his chin and asked: “Doesn’t what I’m doing make you happy?”

Lu Ying replied: “Happy.”

Lu Bing asked: “Since you’re happy, why do you still look so serious? Can’t you smile a little?” This daughter was just too rigid.

Lu Ying made an effort to show four teeth in a smile.

Seeing his daughter’s smile, Lu Bing thought: Um, never mind.

Lu Ying rushed back to North City. It was already the fourth watch, and the heavy rain still hadn’t stopped. Heaven seemed determined to rain its way into autumn, refusing to give up until summer was completely driven away.

The Embroidered Uniform Guards took turns resting while continuously pumping water from the tunnel. Lu Ying joined this effort.

By morning, the heavy rain briefly paused, then turned to light rain. Wang Daxia personally delivered an invitation, changing the farewell banquet to tomorrow evening.

Due to yesterday evening’s “heroic feat” of parading through the streets, Wang Daxia became the center of attention upon entering. Wu Dianyong quickly led him to Boss Wang.

Wang Daxia handed the invitation to Boss Wang: “…Tomorrow at Santong Restaurant. I’ve also invited Captain Wu and Brother Ding to join us—we’ll drink until we’re thoroughly drunk.”

Hearing that Captain Wu would join them, Boss Wang knew Dr. Wei definitely wouldn’t come, seeing that she had been frightened yesterday.

But smart people don’t reveal what they know, so Boss Wang pretended not to know what happened yesterday. He accepted the invitation with both hands, promising to attend punctually, and personally escorted Wang Daxia to the door.

By noon, the drizzle had turned back into pouring rain. In the afternoon, Embroidered Uniform Guard agents secretly added Wei Caiwei’s “Lanke Dream” to the water delivery carts.

At evening, cooking smoke from the Ten Thousand Goods Trading House rose in the rain.

Due to the rain, business was poor. Even the Ten Thousand Goods Trading House had few customers. They closed at dark, and most people went home, leaving only about ten people to balance accounts, watch the store, and guard the warehouse.

Usually, manager Wu Dianyong lived in a small courtyard behind the trading house for convenient store management. But whenever Boss Zhao came to Capital City, Wu Dianyong would let Boss Zhao use the small courtyard while he stayed at an inn on Head Alley for a few nights.

After closing, Wu Dianyong put on wooden clogs, held an umbrella, and instead of returning to the inn, went to Lakeside Restaurant at the end of Head Alley, where he ordered a table full of dishes.

Normally, Wu Dianyong ate out most evenings, so the surveillance team wasn’t surprised.

But after the dishes were served, Wu Dianyong didn’t pick up his chopsticks. Instead, he had the waiter pack everything in a food box to take away.

Was Wu Dianyong finding the restaurant too noisy and wanting to eat slowly in his inn room?

But Wu Dianyong didn’t have the waiter deliver it. He picked up the heavy food box with one hand and held an umbrella with the other as he left.

Five agents spread out to follow and discovered Wu Dianyong didn’t return to the inn to rest but went back to the Ten Thousand Goods Trading House!

What was happening?

The agents quickly reported this unusual change to Lu Ying.

Lu Ying frowned: “What does this mean? He wants to add a few dishes for the night-shift workers in the store?”

Wang Daxia asked: “What dishes did he order?”

The agent said: “Sweet and sour fish, lotus seed soup, sweet osmanthus glutinous rice lotus root, water chestnut flour cake, and a pot of warmed rice wine—he also specifically asked the waiter to add extra sugar to the rice wine.”

“All these dishes, including the rice wine, are sweet. So it’s not for the store workers—Wu Dianyong is specifically bringing them to Boss Wang.” Wang Daxia said: “At the pleasure boat banquet the night before last, I noticed Boss Wang likes sweet dishes, especially sweet and sour fish, and dislikes raw, cold, fishy foods. He didn’t touch the crabs, and didn’t even try the most expensive dish at the banquet—raw river puffer fish slices. But Wu Dianyong liked these fresh foods and didn’t touch the sweet and sour fish at all.”

Lu Ying was puzzled: “Wu Dianyong didn’t touch his chopsticks before bringing food to Boss Wang. Since he also needs to eat and drink with Boss Wang, why not order a dish he likes? All sweet dishes—he doesn’t like them.”

“He’s deliberately putting on a show,” Wang Daxia explained for Lu Ying, who didn’t understand subordinates’ “hardships.” “For example, if I invite Commander Lu to dinner, I’d definitely order everything Commander Lu likes, even deliberately ordering dishes I hate but Commander Lu enjoys. The purpose is to show Commander Lu my good intentions—willing to disgust myself to please Commander Lu.”

Lu Ying looked somewhat confused. She couldn’t understand Wang Daxia’s almost self-abusive way of pleasing others.

Wang Daxia said quietly: “For example, during New Year’s, when Commander Lu was taken by Commander Lu to visit relatives at in-law Yan Shifan’s house, didn’t you have to perform grand ceremonies to Yan Shifan, kneel and kowtow to receive New Year money? Commander Lu clearly detests Yan Shifan but was forced to do things she dislikes. It’s similar.”

Lu Ying said: “I’m not doing it for New Year money. It’s just courtesy—my second sister is his daughter-in-law after all.”

Wang Daxia said: “Your courtesy and our way of flattering superiors are the same—things that must be done. Otherwise, how can we get promoted and wealthy?”

Since his first confession was rejected the night before last, Wang Daxia wanted to try hard to grow up quickly. Not only did he think about saving money, but he also studied career advancement and wealth accumulation—he had forgotten his original intention of joining the Embroidered Uniform Guard, which was simply to smoothly inherit his father’s qianhu title and then live comfortably off that position for life.

Wang Daxia had always been lazy in the Embroidered Uniform Guard, never arriving early, always clocking in right on time.

During the day, he only did his assigned duties, never a bit more.

He was most active at lunchtime, always the first to run to the dining hall.

He left promptly at quitting time, never staying to work overtime. Everything could wait until the next day’s shift.

But after his confession was rejected by Wei Caiwei, Wang Daxia was determined to change himself. Wei Caiwei thought him immature and fickle, so he would show her maturity and prove his confession wasn’t irresponsible idle talk.

How to mature? In Wang Daxia’s view, it was simple and direct—four words: “promotion and wealth.”

How to achieve promotion and wealth? First, flatter superiors; second, do the job well.

So for this White Lotus Sect nest operation, Wang Daxia abandoned his previous lazy, procrastinating style and became actively dedicated. Whatever Lu Ying asked him to do, he did, charging into battle.

Using Lu Ying’s New Year visit to Yan Shifan as an example, Lu Ying immediately understood Wu Dianyong’s intention in buying all sweet foods for Boss Wang.

However, Lu Ying thought more deeply. She pondered Wang Daxia’s words repeatedly, and suddenly her mind flashed like fireworks. She asked: “What did you just say about flattering?”

Wang Daxia said: “Flattering superiors.”

Lu Ying asked: “Who is the superior?”

Wang Daxia: “Commander Lu, of course. Oh, and Commander Lu’s father too. To get promoted and wealthy, flattering you father and daughter is more important than actually doing work.”

“No.” Lu Ying excitedly pointed at Boss Wang’s name. “It’s him. All along, we’ve guessed Boss Wang’s highest status was one of the White Lotus Sect’s four great messengers, most favored by the sect leader, responsible for gathering wealth everywhere as the ‘treasure bowl,’ which is why Wu Dianyong has always been careful around him.”

“But judging from tonight’s deliberate flattery with all sweet foods, we still underestimated Boss Wang’s position in the White Lotus Sect. He’s not one of the four great messengers or the treasure bowl—he’s very likely Wu Dianyong’s superior: White Lotus Sect Leader Zhao Quan.”

Wang Daxia was stunned: “Commander Lu makes sense. So he’s not a big fish—he’s a whale!”

But Lu Ying’s expression was more serious than before: “However, with Wu Dianyong bringing food, Boss Wang and he won’t eat the meals prepared by the trading house chef. Dr. Wei’s medicine will have no effect on these two. The others are easy to catch, but these two could cause complications.”

Author’s Note: Gender creates natural identification. Jinjiang is a female-oriented website, so the comment section is harmonious—everyone finds it satisfying. If I posted these last three chapters on a male-oriented site, the comments would explode, thinking Lu Ying’s punishment too harsh and excessive. Women ultimately must rely on women, especially women with political influence, to understand women’s suffering and protect their own kind. Of course, many women choose to become accomplices to patriarchy, bullying and belittling women, demanding women be obedient slaves to gain recognition and support from patriarchal society, getting a few scraps to eat.

Next chapter begins the net-closing operation—exciting!