"Returning to Before Husband's Castration" 《回到老公自宫前》Chapter 53

 Lu Bing saw things were fine and retreated, he took the seriously injured Ding Wu and others away, but he didn’t dare leave Ding Wu next door in case Yan Shi Bo got up to his old tricks and like him use the ploy of setting a fire to put it out, then rush in to take Ding Wu away, Lu Bing and the others hard work tonight would have been wasted.

The embroidered uniform guards around the moat actually noticed a suspicious person, it was almost the night curfew, the children swimming in the moat were all forced home by the ear by their mothers, they appeared when the bustling river like dumplings in a pot had settled, they were even carrying a burlap sack.

That person carried the sack into the river, when they pulled the rope open, they were apprehended by the embroidered uniform guards.

This person was willing to sacrifice their life, they bit the pouch of medicine hidden in their collar, blood flowed from the seven apertures of their head, they died foaming at the mouth.

The embroidered uniform guards opened the sack, a strong smell of wine and decay assailed their noses, the person inside had half a ruined face.

It was precisely masked Wu.

When Lu Bing and the others arrived at the moat outside Zhengyang gate, mask Wu’s body was kept at the side of the road, his fellow embroidered uniform guards had bought ritual money for burning, paper goods, gold and silver ingots and other such things for a funeral, a pile of black soot remained.

Although some people had already foreseen this, everyone who saw mask Wu’s body were still very shocked, Lu Bing took the lead to get off his horse, everyone else followed.

Everyone observed a moment of silence, Lu Ying said: “Father should return to the yamen first to rest, I’ll return his body to his family.”

Lu Bing had just recovered from his stroke and couldn’t stay up late.

Lu Bing knew his own condition, he didn’t want to push himself, he asked: “Do you know what to say to mask Wu’s family?”

Lu Ying had wanted to just tell them the truth, but thinking about the horrendous methods of Yan Shi Bo, she was afraid the angry and aggrieved family of mask Wu would try the impossible and be crushed to death.

Lu Ying bit her lip, her upper teeth were about to make her lower lip bleed, finally she said: “He accidentally drowned after drinking.”

After saying this Lu Ying slapped herself in the face, she wanted to hit herself again but Wang Da Xia grabbed her arm, saying: “This isn’t leader Lu’s fault, even I who isn’t even scared of the heavens was frightened of Yan Shi Bo tonight. I’m the son of a qianhu, if vice-minister Yan wanted to strangle me to death, it would be the same as my father crushing an ant to death let alone the family of mask Wu. If you want to protect someone there’s no shame in lying. I’ll go on behalf of leader Lu to explain to mask Wu’s family.”

Lu YIng had returned and dived into the water to save him, and had protected him while being interrogated by Yan Shi Bo, Wang Da Xia was already subdued by Lu Ying, he was willing to bear her burden.

Lu Ying shook him off, “You’re covered in injuries, I’ll take mask Wu home, that’s that.”

Lu Bing looked at the teeth marks on the bottom of his daughter’s lips, he was pained, but there was nothing he could do, she decided to not dress prettily but to love dressing in armour, not willing to stay at home and be a pampered daughter of an affluent family, she decided to face the cruel path of growing up, mask Wu’s death only marked the beginning, there was a lot more struggles for her to face in the future.

He was old, and had suffered strokes, he couldn’t always shield her from the rain, she had to learn how to fly on her own.

Lu Bing got on his horse, “Ten people stay behind to see mask Wu home, everyone else go back with me.”

Wei Cai Wei crouched next to mask Wu’s body, silently looking at his ruined face.

He was the same as her family, a victim of Yan Shi Bo, they were as insignificant as ants, unable to move such an elephant as Yan Shi Bo.

To deal with Yan Shi Bo she couldn’t kill him swiftly like the Chen qianhu father and son for revenge, Yan Shi Bo was protected by layers of guards who were willing to die for him, she had to use those with influence and ability in the court to trip him up.

“Let’s go.” Wang Da Xia said.

Wei Cai Wei still didn’t say anything, she got into the carriage, she was afraid if she opened her mouth, the hatred she had suppressed over the last tens of years would come spilling out uncontrollably.

The city gate was already closed, night curfew has also begun.

But who was Lu Bing?

With a wave of his hand he opened the city gates, from the blockades at the bridge, to the outside city gates, then to the inner city gates and finally the barbican entrance they all opened one after the other, letting Lu Bing into the city.

Lu Bing’s activity during the night would definitely be complained about by an imperial censor tomorrow, but when emperor Jiajing comes across a memorial about him, he never did anything about it, Lu Bing was often complained about, after all a lot of louse doesn’t tickle, there’s no need to worry about a heavy debt.

Lu Ying delivered mask Wu’s body to his home on Saozhou lane, his family were still waiting for mask Wu to return home to celebrate dragon boat festival, they thought he must have been delayed by work, they didn’t think he would leave them forever.

His mother fainted when she saw his body, Lu Ying and the subordinates helped mask Wu’s son arrange mourning clothes and funeral arrangements through out the night, busying until dawn.

When he returned to the embroidered uniform guards’ yamen, the first thing Lu Bing did was to carry Ding Wu down to the underground prison.

For safety Ding Ru Kui’s prison cell was unlit, for over ten years he had lived like the sun, but tonight Ding Ru Kui didn’t sleep, he laid on his bed, his hand clutching at his son’s little gold stamp.

Was he dead or not, that was the question.

Fortunately ten years ago when Ding Ru Kui was miserably deceived by the father and son, Yan Song and Yan Shi Bo, he became more sceptical, he thought it over and wasn’t sure of Ding Wu’s safety so even now he hadn’t swallowed gold to commit suicide.

The passageway was lit up by a lamp, followed by sounds of footsteps, Ding Ru Kui immediately tensed, he was scared, the hand holding the stamp wouldn’t stop shaking.

This was deja vu.

Ten years ago on a night like this, Lu Bing paid him a sudden visit to tell him his wife had passed away on her way to exile.

The footsteps got closer, Ding Ru Kui couldn’t continue pretending to sleep, he ran from his bed to the iron bars barefooted, saying: “What happened?”

Ding Ru Kui was most afraid of hearing the worst news.

It was indeed Lu Bing, two soldiers followed behind him carrying a stretcher, the person on it was his son Ding Wu.

Ding Ru Kui’s legs suddenly lost strength, he sat paralysed on the ground.

Lu Bing said: “Ding Wu is still alive, I rescued him, you can be at ease.”

When he heard this, Ding Ru Kui immediately reached out to feel for his son’s breath on the stretcher.

It was a little faint but he was still alive.

Lu Bing said: “You have to trust me, you can only trust me now.” Having said this Lu Bing reached out, “Give it to me.”

Ding Ru Kui knew what he wanted, he placed the gold stamp in his hand into the palm of Lu Bing’s, “Save him, I only have him. I swear, I definitely won’t commit suicide in the future.”

The current Ding Ru Kui wasn’t the former high official minister of war, and he wasn’t a prisoner, he was only a father.

At the same time, Wei Cai Wei was changing the scald medicine she made herself on Wang Da Xia, “You can’t burst this blister, let it heal slowly by itself, otherwise in such summer heat the wound will fester, it won’t be good, I’ve seen an entire arm turn bad and had to be amputated, you can’t treat it lightly.”

As soon as Wang Da Xia heard amputation, he was trembling in fear, “I’ll rest properly and won’t run around everywhere.”

Wei Cai Wei also prescribed him an oral medicine, the guards were sent to find ingredients for it that very night, “Take the medicine then sleep, don’t be lazy.”

Wang Da Xia agreed, “Thank you for setting the fire tonight to save me.” If it had been any later he wouldn’t have been able to escape so lightly.

Wei Cai Wei said: “Thank you for saving Ding Wu, he doesn’t know martial arts, he almost wouldn’t have made it from being tortured on the water wheel.”

Ding Wu’s health wasn’t as good as Wang Da Xia, he was still unconscious from being tied to the waterwheel for half a day.

Wang Da Xia still hadn’t drank his medicine but started to become jealous, “You came to save me because I rescued Ding Wu?” 

You…

Wei Cai Wei really wanted to crack open Wang Da Xia’s skull to see what his brain was doing.

However seeing the wound on Wang Da Xia’s arm, Wei Cai Wei’s heart softened, her tone also became gentler, “With or without Ding Wu, I would have saved you.” 

She then gave him a grape from the tray, “Eat something as a midnight snack, don’t drink your medicine on an empty stomach.”

Wang Da Xia was easy to coax, he was satisfied with a comforting word and some food.

However, Wang Da Xia was becoming more and more unsatisfied recently, “Aiya my arm hurts, it hurts when I use my hand, it’s hard to peel the grape skin.” He meant, he wanted Wei Cai Wei to peel the grape skin for him.

Wang Da Xia was this type of person who shone with a bit of light, give him an inch and he’ll want a mile, three days without a beating, and a child will scale the roof to rip the tiles.

If it was anyone else they would already have told him to get lost.

But Wei Cai Wei wasn’t just anyone, she was his wife in their previous life, he had relied on her his whole life, she was also the only one who could stand him on this earth.

In the last life Wang Da Xia relied on her to survive, he was the one who usually peeled grapes for Wei Cai Wei.

He had done it for a lifetime, now it was time for him to be spoiled.

Bare with it, just take this lifetime to repay his kindness.

Wei Cai Wei washed her hands, personally peeled grapes for him, and used a toothpick to pick out the seeds— in the last life Wang Da Xia had peeled grapes for her like this.

“Open your mouth.”

Ah— Wang Da Xia opened wide, waiting to be fed.

Wei Cai Wei was about to put the grape in his mouth when Wang Da Xia unexpectedly acted like a chicken pecking at rice, he lowered his head suddenly, with a flick of his tongue he rolled the grape into his mouth.

The tip of her fingers felt the warmth of his tongue, Wei Cai Wei was shaken, she recalled the affection between her and Wang Da Xia in their last life as meal partners.

Wang Da Xia was an eunuch, but his hands were dexterous, his mouth was also skillful, he was the best at sponging off her.

Although the two of them were meal partners, they still rolled around in bed…

Hold on, what am I thinking about? The current Wang Da Xia is fourteen years old, he still hasn't reached puberty.

Besides, the fourteen years old Wang Da Xia and the later eunuch Wang only had a similar good looking face and had a frightful taste to bright green and red colours of spring, their personalities were completely different. 

Wei Cai Wei composed herself, pushing the rest of the grapes in front of Wang Da Xia, “Eat it yourself.”

Wei Cai Wei was indeed empathetic towards the current Wang Da Xia but she wasn’t a devil, her damn husband was currently only a child, very young and not yet matured.

He also didn’t know what he did would have consequences and whether he could assume the responsibility. He was still a young man who needed her to protect his bright smile. Wei Cai Wei had never seen his clear pair of eyes in their last life.

Wang Da Xia threw a tantrum, “My hand hurts.”

Wei Cai Wei picked up a grape and put it in her own mouth, ate the flesh then spat out the skin, “Eat it like this then you don’t need to use your hands to peel.”

Seeing Wei Cai Wei treat him gently and patiently, Wang Da Xia continued to act frail and spoiled, “You can see I’m wounded, ah it hurts.”

Wei Cai Wei was annoyed but could do nothing, he was her damn husband, only she could spoil him, she peeled a grape, took out the seeds but didn’t continue to feed him, instead she placed the flesh into a small bowl, getting Wang Da Xia to eat it with a small spoon.