Though nothing was there, Chen Qianhu felt iron-like hands gripping his throat tighter and tighter.
Chen Qianhu desperately clawed at his neck with both hands, his fingernails tearing several bloody gashes in his throat.
His subordinates quickly restrained his hands from both sides, lifted him up, found the nearest medical clinic, kicked open the door, dragged the doctor from his bed, and demanded treatment for Chen Qianhu.
The doctor observed Chen Qianhu’s confused mental state, partial paralysis, and tight throat. Hearing that his five-generation single heir son had been murdered, he first diagnosed shock-induced stroke and used three-edged needles to bleed the Neiguan, Shuigou, and Twelve Well acupoints.
After bloodletting, the doctor noticed the blood color was wrong—it was black—and diagnosed poisoning.
Zhou Xiaoqi, who had been serving Chen Qianhu in the yamen, beat his chest and stamped his feet: “Since Young Master was killed, our lord hasn’t touched a grain of rice. No matter how I urged, he wouldn’t eat. He only drank a cup of tea in the Shuntian Prefecture courtroom! The poisoner must be one of those people in the courtroom!”
This sent the Embroidered Uniform Guards rushing back to Shuntian Prefecture yamen with weapons to find the real murderer.
In the confusion, the doctor couldn’t determine what poison it was. He first tried to induce vomiting with medicinal water, but Chen Qianhu had difficulty breathing and clenched teeth—the medicine couldn’t be poured in. The doctor used a bamboo strip to forcibly pry open his mouth, even breaking two teeth. The medicine went in, but Chen Qianhu also expired.
Chen Qianhu kicked his legs as the street watchmen struck the third watch drum. Chen Qianhu and Chen Dalang, father and son, both went to heaven on the same day.
The Chen mansion, holding funeral rites through the night, had been eagerly awaiting their master to bring back the murderer’s head to sacrifice to Chen Dalang. Instead, they received Chen Qianhu’s corpse.
Originally, the Chen family had single heirs for five generations. With Chen Dalang killed, given Chen Qianhu’s age, taking several fertile concubines might have produced a second child. Now with Chen Qianhu dead too, the Chen family bloodline was completely severed.
With both Chen Qianhu and his son dead, the Embroidered Uniform Guard thousand-household position remained vacant. Chen family relatives all pushed forward their sons as Chen Qianhu’s heirs, hoping to inherit through adoption.
On the day of the father and son’s funeral, over ten Chen family members competed to break the mourning pot and wail, even coming to blows. The funeral became a farce and the capital’s laughingstock—but that’s a story for later.
At Shuntian Prefecture yamen, after the disturbance settled, witnesses took the transit passes issued by Wang the Loach and went home.
Wang Qianhu tied up the wastrel Wang Yanei like a rice dumpling, gagged him, exchanged pleasantries with Wang the Loach, and returned to Sweet Water Lane in Wanping.
Shuntian Prefecture yamen finally returned to quiet. Outside, the third watch drum sounded. Wang the Loach told his two advisors: “Everyone worked hard today. Go rest—we’ll handle anything tomorrow.”
Wang the Loach boarded his sedan chair. As it swayed, he dozed with his head tilted, thinking the only benefit of being a capital official during Jiajing’s reign was sleeping in—no need to rise at the fourth watch for morning court.
During the Great Ming’s founding fifty-plus years, the previous emperors were all energetic. Daily morning court wasn’t enough—there was also noon court. Capital officials had to rise at the fourth watch, rushing to the palace to queue regardless of summer heat or winter cold.
Emperor Jiajing was better. Since the 15th year of Jiajing, he stopped holding court. For over twenty years, capital officials could sleep well—
“Sir!”
The military captain escorting Wang the Loach home rode up to report: “The Embroidered Uniform Guards have returned!”
“They’re back? Will this never end?” Wang the Loach jolted awake.
The furious Embroidered Uniform Guard Zhou Xiaoqi rode straight toward the official sedan without stopping, intending to kick the sedan door to vent his anger.
But Shuntian Prefecture yamen’s military captain wasn’t to be trifled with. He’d endured when the Embroidered Uniform Guard caused chaos at the yamen tonight to seize the body, but now even a minor flag dared assault the prefect—did they think everyone was dead?
“Protect Lord Wang!” The military captain maneuvered his horse and drew his sword to meet the attack.
Yamen clerks and Embroidered Uniform Guards fought in chaos while Wang the Loach, a civil official, huddled in his sedan with his head covered, not daring to emerge.
The Northern District Military Commission on night patrol heard the commotion and hurried over, seeing a familiar scene.
Had the Embroidered Uniform Guard contracted rabies today? Biting anyone they saw?
Originally, the Northern District Military Commission had already worked up anger from their street battle with the Embroidered Uniform Guard on Gulou West Slant Street. Now seeing the Embroidered Uniform Guard beating Shuntian Prefecture clerks, even good-tempered Mu Baihu couldn’t stand it and roared:
“You madmen dare beat a third-rank court official in the northern district! Is there no law? Brothers, attack!”
With the Northern District Military Commission joining—two against one—the situation instantly reversed.
Zhou Xiaoqi was dragged from his horse by the military captain and Mu Baihu together, pressed onto the street. With his face against the stone pavement, Zhou Xiaoqi shouted: “Our thousand-household commander was poisoned and died at Shuntian Prefecture yamen! Clearly you Shuntian Prefecture yamen and Northern District Military Commission are in cahoots! You killed the entire Chen household!”
Hearing that Chen Qianhu was dead, Wang the Loach, who had been playing dead in his sedan, finally spoke: “You’re talking nonsense—it wasn’t me, I didn’t do it. Murdering court officials is a grave matter. Our Shuntian Prefecture yamen can’t handle this. It requires joint trial by the Three Judicial Offices—the Ministry of Justice, Court of Judicial Review, and Censorate!”
Wang the Loach lived up to his reputation. Even with the Embroidered Uniform Guard stepping all over him, his first reaction was to shift blame and throw the matter away.
This made even Mu Baihu regret helping him.
The military captain couldn’t stand it and reminded Wang the Loach in the sedan: “Prefect, these madmen speak slanderously without evidence, falsely accusing our Shuntian Prefecture yamen of poisoning Chen Qianhu. They also assaulted your carriage in the middle of the night. Now the Northern District Military Commission has helped us capture these madmen—how should we deal with them?”
Wang the Loach initially wanted to say release them—better to avoid trouble. But thinking again, if a mad dog like Zhou Xiaoqi ran to Embroidered Uniform Guard Commander Lu Bing to make false accusations first, Shuntian Prefecture would be in deep trouble.
So he changed his words: “First bring them to the yamen to record statements. I must rush overnight to knock at Commander Lu’s residence and explain the situation clearly.”
At the inn, Wei Caiwei had long since extinguished her lamp to feign sleep. Through her window, she observed Shuntian Prefecture yamen. At the second point of the third watch, she saw the Northern District Military Commission and Shuntian Prefecture clerks escorting a group of Embroidered Uniform Guards inside. The group cursed loudly, with Zhou Xiaoqi, who had pursued Wang Daxia last night, cursing most enthusiastically.
In the quiet of deep night, the curses were particularly sharp. Wei Caiwei heard clearly:
“Our lord died from drinking tea at your yamen! Shuntian Prefecture and Northern District Military Commission—none of you can escape responsibility!”
“Don’t think because our thousand-household commander is dead, the Embroidered Uniform Guard has no one! We still have Commander Lu! He’ll make you pay dearly!”
Hearing the curses, Wei Caiwei was as excited as if hearing celestial music: I succeeded! On the third day of my rebirth, I’ve eliminated both enemies, Chen Qianhu and Chen Dalang!
Father, sister, I’ve avenged you!
Wei Caiwei lay in bed unable to sleep until the fifth watch drum sounded and dawn broke, finally falling asleep.
Wei Caiwei thought she’d wake after a brief nap—in her previous life at fifty, she slept little and lightly.
But when she woke, the sun was already overhead—it was noon.
She woke from hunger, her stomach protesting with rumbling sounds. If not for hunger, she might have slept until afternoon.
Wei Caiwei touched her flat belly. She was still unaccustomed to her seventeen-year-old body—at growing age, naturally she could eat and sleep well.
After oversleeping, Wei Caiwei washed while recalling her dead eunuch husband’s “brilliant” performance last night, when she’d wanted to personally castrate him.