Chapter Thirty-Eight: The White Lotus Sect

A night passed without incident.

The next day, He Xiongxiang, Zhao Zhilong, and other officials and nobles of Nanjing escorted Wang Pu out of Chaoyang Gate with great ceremony. Since the journey northward to the capital was long, and the region of Shandong was plagued by the White Lotus sect uprising, besides the two thousand Imperial Guards led by Chang Yanling and Li Zushu, the Minister of War in Nanjing, Shi Kefa, also dispatched the naval lieutenant Huang Degong, commanding three thousand soldiers, to accompany and protect the party.

Huang Degong was a fierce general, rising from the ranks by merit in battle to his current position.

Over five thousand government troops, together with the portion of wealth Wang Pu had seized from Shengjing and Joseon, traveled aboard more than fifty warships. Pulled and pushed by boatmen and towmen, the fleet majestically advanced along the Grand Canal toward the capital. Along the way, officials, obeying the Emperor Chongzhen’s decree, went out of their way to curry favor and offer diligent hospitality, not daring to show the slightest negligence.

Half a month later, the fleet entered the territory of Shandong, and the scenery along the canal became increasingly desolate. Standing on deck, Wang Pu, Chen Yuanyuan, and the soldiers gazed at the ruined villages on both sides of the canal—burnt to ashes, fertile fields trampled and abandoned, refugees, old and young alike, crowding the docks, beseeching passing ships with desperate kowtows. The spectacle was truly heart-wrenching.

Seeing the many children and elderly among the refugees, gaunt and barely holding onto life, Chen Yuanyuan’s heart ached; tears welled in her eyes as she buried her delicate head in Wang Pu’s arms, murmuring sorrowfully, “My lord, these children and elders are so pitiful. Surely they haven’t eaten their fill for days.”

Wang Pu felt the same heavy sorrow. He was about to order the fleet to dock and offer relief when an unexpected incident occurred.

Because Wang Pu’s fleet consisted of over fifty naval warships and more than five thousand soldiers, merchant ships had begun following them from Nanjing, seeking protection. After passing Huaiyin, the number of accompanying merchant ships had grown to over a hundred.

Witnessing the misery of the canal-side refugees, one merchant ship was moved to compassion and docked to distribute some grain. But the scene that unfolded was shocking: refugees swarmed forward, fighting to board the ship. Those aboard tried to control the situation, but the desperate refugees grabbed whatever weapons they could, driving the crew into the river.

The merchant ship was dragged ashore by force, and its grain and goods were looted. After plundering the ship, the increasingly frenzied refugees began hurling stones and sticks at other merchant vessels. Driven by hunger, the refugees had become a violent mob.

Chang Yanling and Li Zushu, accustomed to the refined order of the Southern provinces, had never encountered such chaos. Angered beyond measure, they immediately ordered their ships to dock, preparing to lead the Imperial Guards ashore to disperse the unruly mob. Huang Degong, fearing for their safety, hastily brought his squadron to support.

Before Chang Yanling and Li Zushu could land, the refugees, crowded at the canal’s edge, surged forward, now intent on plundering the naval warships themselves. Driven mad by hunger, they dared even to attack the military ships. Seeing the situation turn dire, Wang Pu urgently ordered Scarface to bring all fifty household guards onto the deck, ready for battle.

At that moment, Chen Yuanyuan suddenly spotted a familiar figure amid the surging mob—a man she recognized as Liu Badao, the river pirate who had nearly abducted her to Taihu Lake. Liu Badao wielded a powerful crossbow, aiming it at Chen Yuanyuan’s side. She glanced over—Wang Pu stood with his back to the riverbank, commanding the guards.

A sharp sound split the air; in a flash, the crossbow bolt shot straight at Wang Pu’s back.

“Don’t!”

Chen Yuanyuan cried out, rushing to shield Wang Pu. The bolt struck her chest, but instead of a thud, there was the distinctive sound of something shattering. Chen Yuanyuan groaned and collapsed backward, soft and limp, as Wang Pu turned at the sound and caught her in his arms.

“Assassin! Protect the general!” Scarface shouted, lunging to shield Wang Pu and Chen Yuanyuan.

Xiao Qi and the other fifty guards responded instantly, surging forward to form two solid human walls around Wang Pu, front and back.

“Old Li!” Wang Pu, holding Chen Yuanyuan, dashed into the cabin, crying out desperately, “Xiao Qi, quickly, find Old Li, hurry!”

Soon, Xiao Qi returned with Old Li to Wang Pu’s cabin.

But before Old Li could examine the wound, Chen Yuanyuan awakened on her own. Wang Pu quickly pressed her fragrant shoulder, speaking softly, “Don’t move, Yuanyuan, lie still, don’t move.”

“My lord,” Chen Yuanyuan blushed and said in a gentle voice, “I’m fine.”

“Yes, you’re fine, you’ll be fine.” Wang Pu, staring at the crossbow bolt still lodged in Chen Yuanyuan’s chest, felt his heart break.

If not for Chen Yuanyuan, that bolt would have pierced Wang Pu’s back. What a remarkable woman, to use her own body to shield her husband!

“My lord, truly, I’m fine.” Chen Yuanyuan spoke, then suddenly pulled out the bolt herself. Blushing, she said, “My lord, have you forgotten the jade pendant?”

“You…” Wang Pu was startled by her action, then, overjoyed, reached to undo her robe—only to remember the others were present. Turning, he said, “Xiao Qi, Old Li, please excuse us for a moment.”

Once they had left, Wang Pu hastily untied Chen Yuanyuan’s gauzy robe, gently slipped off her pink undergarments, and her full, rounded breasts were revealed without reservation. Wang Pu looked closely—the jade pendant nestled in her cleavage was shattered.

Chen Yuanyuan was unhurt, save for a small red mark on her fair skin.

It was fate: the crossbow bolt, shot upward, had passed through her cleavage and struck the jade pendant, shattering it, while the bolt remained lodged simply because her ample bosom had trapped it.

Had Wang Pu not gifted Chen Yuanyuan the necklace, and had she not worn it faithfully, perhaps she would have perished.

“Yuanyuan, you really are unharmed!” Wang Pu, overwhelmed, gripped her full breasts and cried out in excitement, “Wonderful, truly wonderful!”

“My lord, don’t…” Chen Yuanyuan moaned, her eyes growing dreamy and seductive. “Xiao Qi and Old Li are still outside, and the refugees are causing trouble…”

Before her words faded, deafening explosions suddenly erupted outside the cabin. Chen Yuanyuan screamed, diving into Wang Pu’s embrace.

“What’s happening?” Wang Pu, holding Chen Yuanyuan, quickly covered her with her robe and called out, “Xiao Qi, who ordered the cannons fired?”

“General,” came Huang Degong’s reply from outside, “I gave the order. But rest assured, they’re blank shots, meant only to scare off the mob.”

Wang Pu helped Chen Yuanyuan recline on the couch. “Yuanyuan, rest here, I’ll return soon.”

“My lord, I’m truly fine,” Chen Yuanyuan replied softly, “please go.”

Wang Pu kissed her forehead and strode from the cabin, finding Huang Degong, Scarface, Xiao Qi, and others anxiously waiting outside. Seeing Wang Pu, they hurriedly asked, “General, how is the lady?”

“She’s fine,” Wang Pu breathed a sigh of relief, then asked Huang Degong, “Lieutenant, what’s the situation with the mob?”

Huang Degong bowed and replied, “General, you needn’t worry—they’ve been dispersed.”

Just then, a squad of Imperial Guards escorted a soaked, ragged, and shifty middle-aged man down the corridor. Li Zushu, leading them, called out, “Brother, this fellow insists on seeing you. He claims to be the Deputy Magistrate of Jining Prefecture and says he has urgent military intelligence to report.”