The Imperial Guard’s Revenge
Chapter 131 Maritime Ban
Now, she only addressed him distantly as the Marquis of Zhenyuan. Fu Tingzhou looked between Wang Yanqing and Lu Heng, still frowning as he said: “This is crazy, the prison holds the court’s worst criminals. Do you have any idea how dangerous it is here?”
“I do.” This time, it was Wang Yanqing who responded. She clasped her hands together and stood quietly, saying, “It’s a bit damp here, and I’m getting uncomfortable. Can we get started quickly?”
The two men fell silent at once. When Fu Tingzhou heard she was uncomfortable, he wanted to suggest escorting her out, but Lu Heng suddenly spoke, overriding him: “Bring a brazier to keep the Madam warm.”
Lu Heng’s use of “Madam,” was like an invisible thorn, piercing Fu Tingzhou’s heart as the rest of his words died in his throat. What right did he have to escort her now? She already had a husband and he had taken a new wife. By all reason and propriety, Fu Tingzhou should keep his distance.
Silenced, Fu Tingzhou could only watch as Lu Heng rearranged the dungeon. Once the brazier was brought in, the cell brightened considerably, and the lingering dampness seemed to recede. Unwilling to waste time with the two men, Wang Yanqing asked directly: “Where is Wu Sheng’s cell?”
Lu Heng pointed to the innermost one. Without waiting for an escort, Wang Yanqing strode toward it. Lu Heng quickly followed, and Fu Tingzhou had no choice but to trail behind.
Fu Tingzhou’s expression was icy as he hissed under his breath: “What kind of husband are you, bringing her to a place like this?”
The question struck a nerve. Suppressing his own anger, Lu Heng replied coldly: “Marquis of Zhenyuan, let me remind you again, I decide how the interrogation proceeds. I am her husband, and I know her best.”
There seemed to be layers of meaning in Lu Heng’s words that Fu Tingzhou didn’t understand. Before he could process them, Lu Heng had already brushed past him, catching up to Wang Yanqing. Gathering himself, Fu Tingzhou decided to hold back for now and observe.
Upon entering the cell, Wang Yanqing’s gaze immediately landed on a filthy, disheveled man. His wrists and ankles were shackled, his clothes torn and stained with dark, dried blood.
Fu Tingzhou, lingering at the back, frowned at the sight. As someone who frequented prisons, he was accustomed to such scenes, in fact, Wu Sheng’s condition was partly his doing. But how could Wang Yanqing be exposed to such brutality and filth?
She should be wrapped in fine silks, reading by an incense in a warm chamber. Her world should be filled with spring blossoms and autumn moons, poetry and verse, never the darkness of this place.
Not standing in a frigid dungeon. Even ordinary men found prison scenes unsettling, wouldn’t a woman be haunted by nightmares?
Fu Tingzhou was about to call for a screen to block the gore when Wang Yanqing lifted her veil and calmly took in the scene. The stench of blood hung thick in the air, yet she didn’t even flinch.
She removed the veil and held it aside as if it were the most natural thing. Lu Heng accepted it smoothly, like an attendant standing by without a word.
Fu Tingzhou shot Lu Heng a sidelong glance, baffled by what had possessed him. Meanwhile, Wang Yanqing stepped toward Wu Sheng and greeted him politely: “Big Boss Wu, I’ve heard so much about you.”
Wu Sheng cracked an eyelid to glance at her before slumping back against the wall, dismissing her entirely. Unfazed, Wang Yanqing turned to the jailer: “If I’m to speak with Big Boss Wu, how can we leave our guest in chains? Remove them.”
The jailer startled, instinctively looking to the doorway. Lu Heng gave a slight nod. Fu Tingzhou remained motionless. Left with no choice, the jailer hesitantly unlocked Wu Sheng’s manacles, but didn’t dare touch the leg irons.
“Remove those as well.” Wang Yanqing said, “Big Boss Wu suffers from gout. Even without shackles, he couldn’t walk far.”
Everyone in the cell stiffened. Wu Sheng’s head snapped up, his glare vicious: “You’ve been investigating me?”
“The Imperial Guards are formidable, but even they can’t uncover details of those beyond Ming territory.” Wang Yanqing smiled, “The pain is written plainly on your face, Big Boss Wu. No intelligence was needed, just eyes to see it.”
The jailer’s expression turned subtly perplexed. Is that so? Why hadn’t any of us noticed?
Fu Tingzhou’s frown had yet to ease since entering. He shot Lu Heng a questioning look, baffled by whatever game they were playing. But Lu Heng gave an almost imperceptible shake of his head, signaling everyone to stay silent.
After his initial retort, Wu Sheng slumped back into indifference, as if daring them to try harder. The added braziers outside the corridor spilled light into the cell, brightening the space. Wang Yanqing studied Wu Sheng and said: “Big Boss Wu, you’ve sailed the seas for over twenty years, perhaps spent more time adrift than on land. Yet you still bristle when I imply you’re not a person of the Ming Dynasty?”
When Wu Sheng first saw them bring a woman, he scoffed at the court’s desperation. Did they think using a beauty would work? But now he understood why she’d been sent.
A sorceress. She must wield some dark arts.
Wu Sheng kept his face blank, but the faint twitches of his muscles and the tension in his jaw, was all laid bare before Wang Yanqing’s gaze.
She continued slowly: “Though you and your younger brother share blood, your temperaments couldn’t be farther apart.”
A muscle in Wu Sheng’s cheek spasmed, his teeth clenching. He was biting back emotion. Wang Yanqing continued: “I met the Second Boss once. He spoke flawless Japanese, and one might mistake even him for a native. His allegiance was wholly in the Eastern Seas, with no loyalty left to the Ming Dynasty. But you’re the opposite. I can’t help but wonder. You raised your brother like a son, yet watched him forget his ancestors’ tongue, his homeland, even the blood in his veins. Tell me, Big Boss Wu, how did that feel?”
Wu Sheng’s restraint snapped. He lifted his head and snarled: “Get out.”
“You may not want to hear it, but I’ll say it anyway. If the pirates aren’t stopped and they’re allowed to dominate our coasts, countless more children will grow up like your brother, ashamed of their roots, desperate to shed their own skin. Is that the future you want?”
Wu Sheng scoffed: “What’s it to me? I’m just another man driven to the edge by the sea ban, forced to leave home to survive. Emperors murder their brothers and fathers, then demand loyalty and filial piety from the people. What good are empty virtues? Do they fill bellies?”
His awareness was razor-sharp, his defiance unshaken. Wang Yanqing abandoned debate and pivoted: “Then what of the innocent, the elders, the girls along the coast? What did they do to deserve becoming collateral for your profit?”
The tactic worked. Wu Sheng fell silent. For men who valued brotherhood above all, their only Achilles heel was the weak and innocent. Wang Yanqing spoke: “Big Boss Wu, you may believe you’ve lived with honor among your comrades. But because of that honor, families have been torn apart. Those who couldn’t defend themselves, gone forever. Jintai Island has fallen. You owe no one now. During the naval battle, a group of Japanese fled by ship. Where did they go?”
Wu Sheng’s face hardened into stone. Wang Yanqing leaned closer, watching him intently: “Changguo County? Beiji? Nanji…?
She paused and said with understanding: “Nanji, then. Will they call reinforcements?”
“Who awaits them there? Japanese? Westerners? More pirates? Are their forces stronger than yours?”
Wu Sheng refused to speak, but the woman read his thoughts with uncanny precision. Finally, he screwed his eyes shut, flooding his mind with disjointed thoughts. If he didn’t listen, she couldn’t win.
With his defenses raised, Wang Yanqing’s advantage waned. Her method relied on the element of surprise, the more startled the person, the more their face betrayed. Given time to steel himself, even she couldn’t pry truths free.
However, the information she gathered was already sufficient. Wang Yanqing turned away, but before she could speak, Lu Heng had already stepped forward, carefully adjusting her veil before taking her hands to warm them: “Are you cold?”
“A little.”
“Then let’s go.”
Lu Heng escorted Wang Yanqing out, with Fu Tingzhou following silently behind. His brow remained furrowed the entire way, his gaze flickering toward Wang Yanqing’s back as if he wanted to say something but couldn’t.
When they finally stepped out of the dungeon and into the sunlight, Wang Yanqing exhaled in relief.
She truly disliked the oppressive, despairing atmosphere underground, it felt as though death itself had seeped into her bones. Eager to change out of her clothes, she asked from behind her veil: “You both heard everything just now. There’s no need for me to repeat it, right?”
Lu Heng replied: “You’ve worked hard today. Let me take you back.”
“Wait.” Fu Tingzhou suddenly spoke up, stopping them both. His expression furrowed as he asked: “What exactly was that just now? How do you explain it?”
Lu Heng turned his head, giving him a cold glance: “Why should I explain my wife’s affairs to you?”
His tone was sharp, but Fu Tingzhou didn’t back down. Instead, he pressed further: “She can read people’s expressions to the point of understanding a prisoner’s thoughts without them speaking?”
After all, she had been like a sister to him for ten years. Fu Tingzhou had always known Wang Yanqing was exceptionally perceptive, sometimes so much so that it felt like they shared a mind, able to reach an unspoken understanding without words. But today, watching her effortlessly interrogate Wu Sheng, gently yet relentlessly driving the hardened pirate leader to the brink, Fu Tingzhou suddenly realized. Perhaps it wasn’t that their minds were in sync. Perhaps she had simply been reading him all along, deliberately catering to him.
The thought of those ten years sent a chill down his spine. Had she been humoring him like this the whole time? Had she seen every slight from the Chen Shi and the servants, silently enduring?
Had she ever been happy in the Fu household?
Fu Tingzhou stared at her intensely, his gaze piercing through the veil as if trying to meet her eyes. Wang Yanqing, hidden behind layers of white gauze, did not answer. Lu Heng’s patience snapped. He gripped Wang Yanqing’s wrist, pulling her behind him in a blatantly possessive gesture as he blocked her from Fu Tingzhou’s view: “Marquis of Zhenyuan, this is my wife. You have no right to interrogate her.”
With Lu Heng standing in the way, Fu Tingzhou could only see the fluttering edges of her veil. He wanted nothing more than to pull her back, lift that veil, and demand the truth, but he knew he couldn’t. She was married now and she was no longer his sister.
Gritting his teeth against the pain in his chest, Fu Tingzhou forced his voice into something cold and detached: “This is a battlefield. Every move we make affects tens of thousands of lives. I can’t simply take risks. I need to confirm the accuracy of the intelligence.”
Wang Yanqing let out a soft, humorless laugh: “Believe it or don’t, do as you please.”
With that, she turned and walked away without another glance at either man.
A breeze stirred, lifting the edges of her veil like a wisp of mist in the sunlight. Both Lu Heng and Fu Tingzhou followed the white cloth partition with their eyes, but neither moved.
Only when she was out of earshot did Fu Tingzhou speak again: “All those cases you solved with seemingly divine insight, was it because of her? Did she extract the truth for you?”
Lu Heng smirked: “Just because you’re incompetent, Marquis, don’t assume everyone else is. I, Lu Heng, have never needed external help to handle my affairs.”
It seemed Lu Heng couldn’t speak without twisting the knife, even when boasting, his jab at Fu Tingzhou’s political marriage was unmistakable. Fu Tingzhou had no interest in dragging this out. He asked coldly: “Then tell me, have you never used her to achieve your goals?”
“I explained everything to her beforehand. She chose to participate of her own will, what’s the issue?” Heng countered. “My wife and I share the same ideals. We walk different paths but reach the same end. Unlike you. Don’t project your marital failures onto us.”
“She’s never been good at refusing others. She’d rather suffer herself than disappoint people. Are you sure it was her choice, and not just her yielding to you?”
“You tell me. From what you saw today, do you think that performance for my sake, or because she enjoyed it?”
Fu Tingzhou faltered. The way Wang Yanqing commanded the interrogation, step by step, was nothing like the quiet girl he remembered. That sharp gaze, the unshakable confidence, could that really have been an act to please a man?
Silence fell. Lu Heng decided there was nothing left to discuss: “She was born perceptive, and her childhood forced her to hone that skill to survive. She developed her abilities far beyond that of ordinary people. While I regret the suffering she endured, now that she has this ability, it shouldn’t be wasted on indulging mothers-in-law and husbands in some inner chamber. Even the emperor knows and tacitly allows her involvement in certain confidential cases. If you truly care for her well-being, you’ll never speak her name again. And control yourself. Keep your distance from her in public.”
Lu Heng shot him a sharp, icy glance: “Don’t forget, you’re married now, nephew-in-law of the Marquis of Wuding.”
·
Wang Yanqing hadn’t walked far alone before footsteps quickly caught up from behind. When Lu Heng reached for her hand, she dodged, but he stubbornly persisted, interlacing their fingers despite her resistance. Unable to break free, she relented with a quiet sigh.
Lu Heng spoke slowly: “Qing Qing, if you’re angry with him, must you take it out on me?”
“I’m not.”
“Not angry, or not taking it out on me?”
Wang Yanqing remained silent. Lu Heng continued: “Qing Qing, I would never doubt you. I’d act on any information you provide immediately. But Fu Tingzhou? He’s petty, obstinate, arrogant, self-righteous…”
Without blinking, Lu Heng launched into a tirade against Fu Tingzhou, seizing the chance to settle personal scores under the guise of official business. Wang Yanqing couldn’t help but let out a soft laugh.
She wasn’t upset that her goodwill had been met with skepticism. It was the look of shock on Fu Tingzhou’s face that made her resent her own past naivety. Ten years, and only today did he realize she was different. If she hadn’t fallen off the cliff, if she hadn’t lost her memory, would he have gone his whole life taking her for granted?
Understanding, gentle, accommodating, a sweet confidante… Ha.
Her mood was heavy, and even Lu Heng’s presence couldn’t immediately lift it. But watching him seize every opportunity to trash-talk Fu Tingzhou, throwing out any insult that came to mind, she suddenly found it all meaningless.
What’s in the past is past. Her husband now was Lu Heng. Why dwell on what has gone?
Wang Yanqing said: “Enough. I don’t care if you doubted me. As commander, he bears all responsibility for success or failure. It’s natural he’d want to verify enemy intel.”
Mid-sentence, Lu Heng’s fingers tightened around hers, squeezing to the point of pain. His voice turned dangerously light: “Qing Qing. Are you defending him?”
“I’m not. I’m just stating facts.”
Excellent. Initially, Lu Heng had been worried about her feelings. But now she was fine, and he was the one fuming.
·
After Lu Heng executed two high-ranking officials, no one in the South dared oppose the Governor again. Fu Tingzhou’s victory at Jintai Island became a rallying cry, boosting morale in the ranks and silencing any dismissive talk among officials.
Or perhaps the latter was out of fear. Pro-peace officials began dying under mysterious circumstances, and those still breathing only needed to glance at the corpses, then at Lu Heng, leisurely touring Nanjing with his wife, to swallow any dissent.
After Lu Heng’s intimidation tactics, the atmosphere in the officialdom cleared. Cutting off support for dissenters, the military soon fell in line. The true danger in war wasn’t defeat but wavering morale. Seizing the moment, Fu Tingzhou disbanded and reorganized existing units, recruiting fierce militiamen from the natives.
Never underestimate civilians. Jiangsu’s rugged terrain bred isolated, tight-knit villages where inter-clan feuds made battlefield skirmishes look tame.
Professionals couldn’t beat mercenaries, and mercenaries couldn’t beat those who fought for the thrill of it. These recruits, formed into specialized units, instantly elevated the effectiveness of anti-pirate forces.
Subsequent clashes with the pirates revealed exceptional new commanders: Hu Zongxian, a scholar who’d mastered military strategy, Qi Jiguang, successor of a Dengzhou military family, Yu Dayou and Lu Tang, veterans of Zhu Wan’s campaigns…
Tomorrow, the army would besiege one of the two most formidable pirate lords — Xu Hai. The pirates were now divided between Xu Hai and Wang Zhi. Eliminating both would reduce the rest to a scattered, leaderless rabble.
The war had reached its decisive phase. No longer facing disorganized bandits, they now battled disciplined, well-armed factions. Victory over Xu Hai would allow them to focus solely on Wang Zhi, drastically improving the court’s odds. But if tomorrow failed… Xu Hai and Wang Zhi would coordinate, forcing the imperial forces into a two-front war they wouldn’t be able to sustain.
So, tomorrow’s battle was crucial.
On the eve of the battle, Wang Yanqing and Lu Heng left the city, climbed a hillside, and gazed out at the vast and boundless sea.
The sea was a deep, mysterious blue, and the waves crashed against the shore. The continuous sound of the tide was soothing and peaceful. Wang Yanqing sighed: “I really don’t want to imagine it, but tomorrow, this place will be stained red with gunfire and corpses. It will never return to this moment of calm beauty.”
Lu Heng said: “Nature is ruthless. It hasn’t changed for anyone in thousands of years. Within a day, the ocean will return to its original state. Only people can’t go back.”
The two stood on the hilltop, with thousands of lights behind them and the vast ocean ahead. The sea breeze blew from all directions, making their clothes flutter loudly. Wang Yanqing pressed her hair down and asked: “Will the war end?”
Will it? This time, Lu Heng didn’t weave a beautiful dream for her but instead said: “I don’t know.”
Human greed is endless. As long as there’s profit, there will be conflict. As long as human greed continues, the war will never end.
Lu Heng asked: “Do you know why there are Japanese pirates?”
“Because of internal strife in the Eastern Islands, the people lived in misery, and many Japanese fled.”
“No.”
“Because Westerners built large ships that could cross the ocean to our shores, so some people, driven by profit, started trading with them?”
“That’s not it either.” Lu Heng said, “These are just external factors. How many people were there among the Japanese? How many could escape? The coastline is here, and if it weren’t the Westerners, there would have been others. If they didn’t build ships, would there be no conflict along the coast? The root cause of the Japanese pirates is actually the maritime ban.”
“Why?”
“The coastal areas are different from the inland. They have a large population and insufficient land for farming. Since the Song Dynasty, many people in Zhejiang and Fujian survived by doing business. After the government imposed the maritime ban, they lost their livelihood. They had no choice but to roam from place to place, secretly smuggling goods, trying to avoid being caught by the officials. This gradually evolved into pirate activities. If the conflict between people and land isn’t resolved, even if we eliminate this batch of Japanese pirates, in a few decades, new problems will emerge.”
“Since that’s the case, why not lift the maritime ban?”
Lu Heng shook his head: “Governing a country is not as simple as answering a multiple-choice question. Previous emperors had gradually loosened the maritime ban and set up maritime customs offices along the coast. The number of roaming Japanese pirates decreased, but it caused issues such as land encroachment and collusion between officials and merchants. When the emperor first ascended the throne, an envoy from the two Japanese shogunates met at the Ningbo customs office. They were hostile to each other and fought fiercely, leading to a large-scale massacre. Both sides burned, killed, and plundered along the way, killing many civilians and officials. After this incident, the emperor closed the customs offices in Zhejiang and Fujian and refused to allow Japanese ashore. When the official channels were closed, they had no choice but to collaborate with private individuals, which gradually evolved into the problem of the Japanese pirates.”
During her time in Jiangnan, Wang Yanqing had met all kinds of people. She realized that those pirates drifting on the sea, who had turned to banditry, were not necessarily born evil. Wu Sheng had actually said something right, when people were barely surviving, how can they talk about loyalty, filial piety, benevolence, and righteousness?
Wang Yanqing sincerely asked: “Then, is the maritime ban really the right thing to do?”
“I don’t know.” Lu Heng turned around, smiling as he looked at her. “This is something the emperor should consider, how would I know? A country this big, if you control it, it dies, if you release it, it’s chaos. So many heroes in history have lamented that conquering the world is easy, but governing is hard. What qualifications do I have to answer such a question?”
Wang Yanqing felt confused. She couldn’t come up with an answer. She quietly stood beside Lu Heng, looking out at the endless sea with him.
This was a bloody era, with intense party struggles and war raging. Every day, officials were involved in palace intrigues and died. But it was also an era of brilliant stars, Zhu Wan, Qi Jiguang, Hu Zongxian, Yu Dayou, and in the capital, there was the emperor, Xia Wenjin, Zhang Jinggong, and perhaps, they should also add Fu Tingzhou and Lu Heng.
The emergence of talent was one of the key signs of prosperity. Each of them was incredibly smart, gathered on the same stage, appreciating each other while also fighting amongst themselves. She was fortunate to live in this era, witnessing the rise and fall of these geniuses.
Wang Yanqing asked Lu Heng: “The battle with the Japanese pirates had far-reaching impacts, and in the future, it will surely be a significant part of history. However, history books will only write about Hu Zongxian’s supervision of Zhejiang, his clever strategy to capture the bandits, Qi Jiguang and Yu Dayou defending the country, heroes and generals, but it may never mention you. Won’t you feel resentful?”
Lu Heng chuckled softly: “If one hasn’t figured out their own life over these decades, what use is there in worrying about one’s legacy? For the Supreme Commander of the Imperial Guards, fame isn’t necessarily a good thing. I would rather everyone forget about me.”
“Do you truly not care?”
Lu Heng gazed at the distant horizon where the sea met the sky, the brilliant Milky Way seemingly about to pour into the ocean. The vastness of the world made human beings feel so insignificant.
Lu Heng said: “Currently, the Ming Dynasty is prosperous. People live in peace and contentment, and that’s enough.”
Some shine brightly, leaving enduring legacies, while others stand in the shadows, bearing burdens in silence. A flourishing era isn’t just about outward brilliance, much of it hides in the mud, decaying and breeding maggots. Someone must remove the rotten flesh and carry on.
Yet, in the end, people will remember the glorious and powerful era.
The sea breeze grew colder, and if they waited any longer, the city gates would close. Lu Heng and Wang Yanqing descended the mountain together. Their horses, tethered to trees, grazed nearby. Seeing them return, the horses neighed excitedly.
Lu Heng untied Wang Yanqing’s horse and handed her the reins. Wang Yanqing skillfully mounted, and after she settled, he followed suit. Without further words, he gently urged his horse forward and galloped towards the city gates, with Wang Yanqing following closely behind.
They hadn’t called for attendants, riding alone towards the city gates.
Behind them, the crescent moon hung like a hook, the cold wind whistling. Ahead, the towering city gates stood, illuminated by countless lights.
In this moment, it was just the two of them.